The Chronological Movement Of Urban Settlement Subject And Functions

As Tianjin witnesses drastic development of new urban areas since the dawn ofthe21stcentury, the protection and alteration of historic/cultural sites go throughlegislation and the features of the city vary day by day. Nevertheless, comparisonswith developed countries in the west indicate that problems with respect to directionof development exist in urban construction of our nation and there are fairly big gapsin respect of the protection and alteration of historic/cultural sites due to latecommencement. During the stage of high-speed urbanization in our country, how toperform urban construction on a scientific basis as soon as possible becomes animportant task to be dealt with by researchers in urban planning and architecture andcity administrators.Based on historical studies, this thesis, from the perspective of city planning andarchitecture and in consideration of theory-practice combination, uses themethodology of comparative study to conduct chronological examination and crosscomparison of the practices and theories with regard to urban development andrenewal in China and the west and puts forward solutions feasible for the study andresearch on the targets and policies currently employed for urban development inChina with the protection and alteration of historic/cultural sites in Tianjin as anexample. Innovative ideas in this thesis include:In terms of theoretical studies, redefine and re-explicate urban settlement andthe relevant concept social ecology, against which the dialectical changes of thesubject and functions of city are detailed with respect to chronology;In terms of historical studies, try to chronologically examine the development ofChinese and foreign cities as of ancient times to modern and contemporary times fromthe perspective of city planning and architecture with reference to the practices forhistorical studies in respect of cities in the general history, reflect the chronologicalchanges of urban settlement in historical facts, and comment on an objective basis itsdevelopment features and the effects on posterity;In terms of comparative studies, focus on the prescriptive nature of the subjectand functions of city with respect to chronology such as diachrony and synchronicity; In terms of practical verification, take the protection and alteration ofhistoric/cultural sites in Tianjin as an example to discuss the dialectical changes of thesubject and functions of city with respect to chronology and summarize theexperience and lessons in urban renewal, and suggest the method for inner cityrenewal and the right direction towards scientific development of our cities with theSino-Singapore Eco-city as an example.From the universality of inner city renewal and the particularity of the currentextensive renewal activities, we can see the change in cognition&concepts of theurban administrators and builders on tradition vs. modernity and history vs. future.The purpose and significance of this thesis is to establish a new concept for urbandevelopment, minimize the gap between western countries and us during the sensiblecognition, inheritance and innovation of urban subject and functions, establish newurban development philosophy and adopt efficient countermeasures to cause innercity renewal and overall urban construction to be scientific and people-centered assoon as possible.