Designing the medieval new town

Abstract

The hypothesis that complex geometry has been used as the basis for the design of medieval urban layouts is contested. In particular, the case of the bastide of Grenade-sur-Garonne in south-west France is analysed, comparing the geometrical hypotheses with measurements on the twentieth-century cadastral plan. In this case, it appears far more likely that the plan was designed by using a much simpler metrology. Further, it is suggested that the fields north and south of Grenade were probably originally laid out as house lots.