The Theory of Urban Fabrics:

Abstract

Cities are shaped by many historical and geographical features, but at any stage in a city's history the patterns of land use can be changed by altering its transportation priorities. An understanding of how cities work, based on walking, transit, and automobile fabrics, will therefore enable a more fundamental understanding of the rise and fall of automobile dependence. In this chapter we show how different urban fabrics have developed from different transport types and how they should be recognized, respected, and regenerated as the basis of town planning. In doing so we will find a way to understand automobile dependence and how it can be shaped into a more sustainable and regenerative approach to cities. In particular, the theory will help us to explain why it appears that walking and transit fabrics are now valued more highly---economically, socially, and environmentally---than automobile fabric, and how to manage each fabric more appropriately.