XIAMEN
XI'AN
WENSHAN
TAIPEI
SHENZHEN
9
SHANGHAI
QINGPU
QINGDAO
LIN'GANG
KUNMING
JIADING
HONG KONG
HEFEI
GUANGZHOU
BEIJING
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
10 11 12 13 14 15
AMSTERDAM+
24
38
ATLANTA
ANKARA
25
39
DENVER
ANNECY & AIX-LES-BAINS
26
40
DETROIT
BERLIN
27
41
LAKE HAVASU
FRANKFURT
28
42
LOS ANGELES
GOTEBORG
29
43
MONTREAL
ISTANBUL
30
44
NEW YORK
LISBON
31
LONDON
32
45 46
LYON
33
MADRID
34
MOSCOW
35
MUNICH
36
PARIS
37
47 48 49 50
SAN FRANCISCO RIO DE JANEIRO SAO PAULO VANCOUVER WASHINGTON, D.C. HAVANA
16
ADELAIDE
17
BANGKOK
18
BUSAN
19
HOCHIMINH CITY
20
NIIGATA
ADDIS ABABA
51
21
SEOUL
DAR ES SALAAM
52
22
SYDNEY
HURGHADA
53
23
TOKYO
NAIROBI
54
XIAMEN
XI'AN
WENSHAN
TAIPEI
SHENZHEN
9
SHANGHAI
QINGPU
QINGDAO
LIN'GANG
KUNMING
JIADING
HONG KONG
HEFEI
GUANGZHOU
BEIJING
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
10 11 12 13 14 15
AMSTERDAM+
24
38
ATLANTA
ANKARA
25
39
DENVER
ANNECY & AIX-LES-BAINS
26
40
DETROIT
BERLIN
27
41
LAKE HAVASU
FRANKFURT
28
42
LOS ANGELES
GOTEBORG
29
43
MONTREAL
ISTANBUL
30
44
NEW YORK
LISBON
31
LONDON
32
45 46
LYON
33
MADRID
34
MOSCOW
35
MUNICH
36
PARIS
37
47 48 49 50
SAN FRANCISCO RIO DE JANEIRO SAO PAULO VANCOUVER WASHINGTON, D.C. HAVANA
16
ADELAIDE
17
BANGKOK
18
BUSAN
19
HOCHIMINH CITY
20
NIIGATA
ADDIS ABABA
51
21
SEOUL
DAR ES SALAAM
52
22
SYDNEY
HURGHADA
53
23
TOKYO
NAIROBI
54
018 - 019
3. Boundaries: Clear or Vague
In addition to natural boundaries, such as rivers, coastline or mountains, ancient cities’ most
a doubt. In Germany, borders of cities such as Frankfurt pop up suddenly. Satellites towns
distinct borders were walls, moats, shelters, forests, et cetera. In modern times, inner and
usually surround the big cities from a distance of 3 kilometers. As for Berlin, apart from in-
outer ring roads have served as important borders. From a macroscopic view, these bor-
ter-city borders, there’s also an inner-city boundary: the Berlin Wall which once divided the
ders have become clear or vague from time to time.
city.
You can find the clearest borders in European cities, while the most obscure ones are in
In China, big cities’ borders are mainly man-made. Though they’re not as clear as those in
the boundaries of American cities. China and other countries are somewhere in between
Europe, the distinction between the city and the countryside remains firm in people’s minds.
being clear and obscure.
Beijing has ring roads to separate the urban from rural areas, as does Shanghai. In the past,
Some people argue that in the Middle Ages the city border was as flawless as the shell of
the central city of Shanghai referred to its inner ring; it has since expanded to its outer rings.
a boiled egg; in modern times boundaries are blurry because of urban expansion (more like
Though some areas between the inner and outer rings are rather underdeveloped, the tenden-
a fried egg); while the planning of post-modern cities is similar to scrambled eggs as there
cy is towards the disappearance of those gaps. The borders of newer cities should have the
are no borders or cores. I partly agree with this view. Since I was a child, when riding the
clearest boundaries, through the fact that they were planned. But with time, boundaries linking
train I have always been curious about where the city border lies. The question remains a
one city to another begin to be blurred; Guangzhou and Shenzhen are such examples.
myth today.
Clear borders can be seen in African cities. New communities stand at the edge of Addis
Most American cities don’t have distinct boundaries except natural ones, such as the
Ababa. Such is the case in São Paulo and Rio of Brazil. Cities in South Asia are somehow
Hudson River to Manhattan, Lake Michigan to Chicago and the Pacific Ocean to San
like those in China. Take Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with its indented city edges looking
Francisco. Los Angeles, where buildings are low and dense, stretches itself across a large
like straws absorbing their cities’ energy. As for Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane in Australia,
distance. Denver and Atlanta start from the central city with high buildings, surrounded by
city structure is similar to those of American cities while their borders are much more like
lower and denser buildings and reach to the suburbs like a sloping circle. Few American
those of European cities.
cities have city walls. European cities have comparatively distinct borders. From a plane, you can easily distinguish cities from rural areas. For example, London’s boundary is easy to identify without
Borders are possibly no longer important for a postmodern city. In this sense, whether we should maintain the presence of city boundaries remains a problem, especially when it comes to protecting historic cities.
018 - 019
3. Boundaries: Clear or Vague
In addition to natural boundaries, such as rivers, coastline or mountains, ancient cities’ most
a doubt. In Germany, borders of cities such as Frankfurt pop up suddenly. Satellites towns
distinct borders were walls, moats, shelters, forests, et cetera. In modern times, inner and
usually surround the big cities from a distance of 3 kilometers. As for Berlin, apart from in-
outer ring roads have served as important borders. From a macroscopic view, these bor-
ter-city borders, there’s also an inner-city boundary: the Berlin Wall which once divided the
ders have become clear or vague from time to time.
city.
You can find the clearest borders in European cities, while the most obscure ones are in
In China, big cities’ borders are mainly man-made. Though they’re not as clear as those in
the boundaries of American cities. China and other countries are somewhere in between
Europe, the distinction between the city and the countryside remains firm in people’s minds.
being clear and obscure.
Beijing has ring roads to separate the urban from rural areas, as does Shanghai. In the past,
Some people argue that in the Middle Ages the city border was as flawless as the shell of
the central city of Shanghai referred to its inner ring; it has since expanded to its outer rings.
a boiled egg; in modern times boundaries are blurry because of urban expansion (more like
Though some areas between the inner and outer rings are rather underdeveloped, the tenden-
a fried egg); while the planning of post-modern cities is similar to scrambled eggs as there
cy is towards the disappearance of those gaps. The borders of newer cities should have the
are no borders or cores. I partly agree with this view. Since I was a child, when riding the
clearest boundaries, through the fact that they were planned. But with time, boundaries linking
train I have always been curious about where the city border lies. The question remains a
one city to another begin to be blurred; Guangzhou and Shenzhen are such examples.
myth today.
Clear borders can be seen in African cities. New communities stand at the edge of Addis
Most American cities don’t have distinct boundaries except natural ones, such as the
Ababa. Such is the case in São Paulo and Rio of Brazil. Cities in South Asia are somehow
Hudson River to Manhattan, Lake Michigan to Chicago and the Pacific Ocean to San
like those in China. Take Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with its indented city edges looking
Francisco. Los Angeles, where buildings are low and dense, stretches itself across a large
like straws absorbing their cities’ energy. As for Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane in Australia,
distance. Denver and Atlanta start from the central city with high buildings, surrounded by
city structure is similar to those of American cities while their borders are much more like
lower and denser buildings and reach to the suburbs like a sloping circle. Few American
those of European cities.
cities have city walls. European cities have comparatively distinct borders. From a plane, you can easily distinguish cities from rural areas. For example, London’s boundary is easy to identify without
Borders are possibly no longer important for a postmodern city. In this sense, whether we should maintain the presence of city boundaries remains a problem, especially when it comes to protecting historic cities.
142 - 143
23.TOKYO
fig.1
2011
142 - 143
23.TOKYO
fig.1
2011
146 - 147
EUROPE
29 37 35
24
32
27 28 37
24 AMSTERDAM+
36 33
25 ANKARA
26
34 31
26 ANNECY & AIX-LES-BAINS 30 32
27 BERLIN 25 27
28 FRANKFURT 29 GOTEBORG 30 ISTANBUL 31 LISBON 32 LONDON 33 LYON 34 MADRID 35 MOSCOW 36 MUNICH 37 PARIS
146 - 147
EUROPE
29 37 35
24
32
27 28 37
24 AMSTERDAM+
36 33
25 ANKARA
26
34 31
26 ANNECY & AIX-LES-BAINS 30 32
27 BERLIN 25 27
28 FRANKFURT 29 GOTEBORG 30 ISTANBUL 31 LISBON 32 LONDON 33 LYON 34 MADRID 35 MOSCOW 36 MUNICH 37 PARIS
198 - 199
SUBURBS OF MADRID
I’ve flown over Madrid several times without seeing the city center. To some extent, the scenery of suburbs reflects the spirit of the city. Each building in Madrid has its own characteristic and is independent from others and its surroundings. The landscape and buildings refuse to make compromises so that we can take in nature in its original state.
2014 fig.3
2014 fig.2
2014 fig.4
198 - 199
SUBURBS OF MADRID
I’ve flown over Madrid several times without seeing the city center. To some extent, the scenery of suburbs reflects the spirit of the city. Each building in Madrid has its own characteristic and is independent from others and its surroundings. The landscape and buildings refuse to make compromises so that we can take in nature in its original state.
2014 fig.3
2014 fig.2
2014 fig.4
264 - 265
47.SAO PAULO
fig.1
2010
264 - 265
47.SAO PAULO
fig.1
2010
280 - 281
MYSTERIOUS HAVANA Â
Havana appears peculiar and somehow familiar at first sight. Seen from above, the city’s elements give the impression of an old acquaintance. Its suburban landscapes resemble those in Nairobi and Johannesburg, and its old town looks like Lisbon and Madrid. New neighborhoods show a vague similarity to Moscow, while the dim outline and color of the coast is partly like Rio de Janeiro. Dense housing and streets appear reminiscent of Shanghai in old times. Havana integrates three to four centers, resembling ripples of water clashing against each other. However, when I set foot on land, I found the longest arcade imaginable and the life of local and foreign residents most different from anywhere else in the world.
2017 fig.2
2017
2017 fig.3
fig.4
280 - 281
MYSTERIOUS HAVANA Â
Havana appears peculiar and somehow familiar at first sight. Seen from above, the city’s elements give the impression of an old acquaintance. Its suburban landscapes resemble those in Nairobi and Johannesburg, and its old town looks like Lisbon and Madrid. New neighborhoods show a vague similarity to Moscow, while the dim outline and color of the coast is partly like Rio de Janeiro. Dense housing and streets appear reminiscent of Shanghai in old times. Havana integrates three to four centers, resembling ripples of water clashing against each other. However, when I set foot on land, I found the longest arcade imaginable and the life of local and foreign residents most different from anywhere else in the world.
2017 fig.2
2017
2017 fig.3
fig.4
302 - 303
CAPITAL OF AFRICA
Nairobi is an African metropolis. The landscape around the city varies greatly, as does scenery within the city. Large man-made warehouses with colorful green steel plate roofs and natural lakes of crystal-clear water populate the outskirts of the city. From the tops of high-rises in the city, modern buildings gathering in clutters can be seen. By observing the spatial structure carefully, you can find the difference between Nairobi and any other Asian, European or American city. Important buildings such like hotels, office towers, hospitals, government agencies tend to step off the road and hide behind large courtyards. Security checks at every gate are required for visitors
2013 fig.2
and vehicles. On city streets, we can see many walls, which seem to be the main boundaries of urban units.
2013 fig.3
302 - 303
CAPITAL OF AFRICA
Nairobi is an African metropolis. The landscape around the city varies greatly, as does scenery within the city. Large man-made warehouses with colorful green steel plate roofs and natural lakes of crystal-clear water populate the outskirts of the city. From the tops of high-rises in the city, modern buildings gathering in clutters can be seen. By observing the spatial structure carefully, you can find the difference between Nairobi and any other Asian, European or American city. Important buildings such like hotels, office towers, hospitals, government agencies tend to step off the road and hide behind large courtyards. Security checks at every gate are required for visitors
2013 fig.2
and vehicles. On city streets, we can see many walls, which seem to be the main boundaries of urban units.
2013 fig.3
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