Subject: AI Indexes (General)
Year: 2020
Type: Article
Type: PeerReviewed
Title: Organic vs Planned: The Evolution of The Spatial Configuration of Tetovo
Author: Ferati, Armir
Author: Saidi, Aurora
Abstract: The paper explores the processes that shape the urban configuration of cities, with a particular focus on Tetovo. Both, the organic - bottom-up and planned - top-down processes, shaped the spatial configuration of Tetovo throughout the centuries. Tetovo evolved organically from the 14th century until World War 2 (WW2) through a self-organizing process. After WW2, as part of Yugoslavia, Tetovo was supposed to transform into a modern city. Its existing urban fabric was disregarded in the new planned - top-down strategies. However, most of these new ideas were partially implemented and Tetovo continued to grow by both processes. A similar top down approach, with minor methodological modifications, was adopted in planning policies in North Macedonia after its independence at the end of the 20th century. Yet again, planning could not guide nor even follow the rapid development of Tetovo. The asynchrony between planning and factual growth had negative repercussions on urban form resulting in chaotic manifestations of the built environment. Hence this paper aims to understand and explain Tetovo's spatial configuration beyond its simplistic geometric descriptions at different stages of development, objectively, and analytically. The study relies on space syntax as the core theory and methodology as through an analytical set of tools it offers objective spatial configuration analysis. It reveals the hidden regularities of the organic spatial configuration and Tetovo’s natural development disruption caused by the top-down modernistic planning approach. It also suggests that planning strategies have to consider the existing socio-spatial context to avoid negative manifestations of the built environment in the future development of the city. However, further research that would also include other cities of North Macedonia is necessary to fully decode spatial and behavioral patterns and incorporate them into urban planning policies.
Publisher: University of Tetova
Relation: https://eprints.unite.edu.mk/619/
Identifier: oai:eprints.unite.edu.mk:619
Identifier: https://eprints.unite.edu.mk/619/2/1.pdfIdentifier: Ferati, Armir and Saidi, Aurora (2020) Organic vs Planned: The Evolution of The Spatial Configuration of Tetovo. Journal of Applied Sciences-SUT JAS-SUT, 6 (11-12). pp. 9-29. ISSN 2671-3047
