Revisiting critical regionalism from an urbanistic perspective: A generative typomorphology for contextual urban design

Abstract

As self-organized systems, traditional settlements emerge from local codes that guide discrete building acts over time. These rule-based systems’ ability to shape the intricate spatial matrix and fabric of cities continues to inspire contemporary urban design, particularly in the search for alternative methodologies to create contextually distinctive and spatially coherent settlements for the new century. However, despite the growing interest in traditional urbanism, there is still a gap in understanding the morphology of historical fabrics and their generative logic for design application. This paper revisits Critical Regionalism, advocating for a nuanced integration of contemporary styles and techniques with local culture and identity. It proposes a systematic framework to decode the morphology of traditional urban fabrics, using their rules to inform the development of new settlements. The study examines Uçhisar, Cappadocia as one of the oldest traditional settlements in Türkiye, and explores the potential of a typomorphological perspective in contextual urban design.