Research On Settlements Based On "Bottom-Up" Urban Design Approach

In the rapid process of China’s contemporary urbanization, most of cities are planed and constructed through the "top-down" approach. Although the cities developed faster under the promotion, they lost the characteristics of traditional cities built based on "bottom-up" approach, such as natural spatial forms, strong sense of belong and obvious local features. It has great significance to draw lessons from the "bottom-up" city design method and supplement to the current ones.Firstly, the field investigation of several settlements including Licha, Xiangang, Huashan, MuduCangshu and Yumen was carried out. Secondly, the thesis uses the method of behavior observation, life experience, morphological analysis, induction and summary to research on the morphological characters, residents behaviors and space usage habits of the pre-industrial "bottom-up" settlements. And then, it summarizes the general advantages of adaption to local condition and cooperation of dwellers’needs and spatial arrangement, but also the dilemmas with the development of times. Furthermore, it proposes five principles and some key points of "bottom-up" urban design approach after rethinking and comparison on the present problems. At last, it takes the Planning and Architecture Design of Cangshu, Mudu as the case to summarized a complete process of "bottom-up" urban design method from the preliminary study to detailed design and the final results.The research findings of the thesis provides the "bottom-up" approach to contemporary urban design, as well as the design process and specific method gives reference to modern urban design practice.