Town planning in the late Middle Ages. About building plots, streets and Standard dimensions in Elburg and some other towns

Authors

  • Reinout Rutte
  • Ko Visser
  • Wim Boerefijn

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7480/knob.102.2003.4-5.300

Abstract

This article deals with the layout of the new town of Elburg around 1400, the layout of some other new towns and town extensions in the Netherlands during the fourteenth century, and with the wider, international context of this town planning. For instance, there is evidence that from the twelfth to the fifteenth century a rational type of town planning and urban design were practised, both in the layout of new towns and in town extensions.

In so far as the situation allowed it, general organising principles were adopted in the planning and building of towns. Standard dimensions were used for building plots, building blocks, the width of streets and canals, and often these were in rational proportion to each other. The dimensions and regularity could vary depending on the (geographical, economic, social, legal, structural etc.) conditions locally. It is utter nonsense to describe the development of medieval towns as organically grown, without direction, as is only too often done.

Author Biographies

Reinout Rutte

Dr. Reinout Rutte is stads- en architectuurhistoricus. In 2002 promoveerde hij op Stedenpolitiek en stadsplanning in de Lage Landen (12de-13de eeuw), Zutphen 2002.

Ko Visser

Dr. Ko Visser was werkzaam bij de Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg en was docent in de geschiedenis van de nederzetting en van de stedenbouwkunde aan de Technische Universiteit te Delft.

Wim Boerefijn

Drs. Wim Boerefijn is architectuurhistoricus. In 1995 studeerde hij af aan de Universiteit Utrecht. Van 1996 tot 2001 was hij als AIO verbonden aan het zwaartepunt mediëvistiek van de Rijks Universiteit Leiden, alwaar hij werkte aan zijn proefschrift ‘The foundation and planning of new towns in the 13th and 14th centuries. A research in architectural history after urban form and its creation’, waarop hij binnen afzienbare tijd hoopt te promoveren. Sinds 2001 werkt Wim Boerefijn bij het Monumenten Advies Bureau te Nijmegen.

Published

2003-09-01

How to Cite

Rutte, R., Visser, K., & Boerefijn, W. (2003). Town planning in the late Middle Ages. About building plots, streets and Standard dimensions in Elburg and some other towns. Bulletin KNOB, 102(4-5), 122–137. https://doi.org/10.7480/knob.102.2003.4-5.300

Issue

Section

Articles

Plaudit