Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
extraction, by deforestation, by polluting rivers and dumping urban wastes on
dumps and sinks at a distance from the city. In the 21st century this
'
colonization of
nature
'
has gone so far, that the whole globe has become
'
hinterland
'
of large cities
in the western world, which is for example testi
ed by the range of countries of
origin of products sold in urban super-markets.
6.3 Where Cities Are Located: Access to Resources
The basic structure of the European urban system developed between 1100
1300.
This was the period when the large majority of cities still existing were
-
rst
.
4
Of
course the urban system did not result from any planning master-mind but evolved
in response to pre-existing settlement structures, topographical conditions and new
needs. Pre-existing were Roman cities in large parts of Southern and Western
Europe where Roman occupation had left its lasting traces. Within Europe the
degree of continuity of urban civilization beyond the collapse of the Roman Empire
varies massively: In Spain, southern France and Italy, Roman population persisted
to dominate even after the great migration, thus Roman cities frequently were kept
populated, even if changed in form and appearance. North of the Alps within a zone
demarcated by the Seine and the Rhine there is a strong imprint by Roman culture
but on the other hand massive perturbations by successive waves of Germanic
migration which resulted in a rather mixed picture of continuity and rupture. East of
the Rhine and north of the Danube,
mentioned in sources as an
'
urban settlement
'
with terms like
'
urbs
'
or
'
civitas
'
nally, where the imprint of Roman culture was
only short-lived and partial, almost no continuity can be noted. Christian church,
particularly the Episcopal organization provided an important bridge of continuity
between the late Roman period and the stabilization under the Carolingians. Fre-
quently during times of political instability the bishop acted as a protecting and
unifying agency for urban dwellers.
5
When medieval society started on a slow but
steady growth path after 1000 we can observe a large number of settlements located
at fortuitous places developing into
. Crucial location factors were transport
and defense: since transport is an essential factor for almost all commodities other
than water and air, locations which were situated on trade routes over land or
'
cities
'
—
better still
nd cities
established at crossings of trade routes, particularly were trade routes crossed a
(navigable) river.
6
Transport acted as an essential bottle-neck of medieval and
early-modern economy: In contrast to Roman times roads were badly maintained
and frequently also dangerous; robbery and way-laying were endemic in large parts
of Europe. Moreover, road transport was extremely expensive and inef
—
on water (or both!) were preferred. Thus we can frequently
cient: if
4
Hohenberg and Lees (
1995
) and Clark (
2009
).
5
Ennen (
1987
).
6
Hohenberg and Lees (
1995
, p. 31) and Schott (
2011
).
