Premodern Cities in Developing Countries

Cities in developing countries may date from ancient times. For most of recorded history, the world’s largest cities have been in Asia. However, until modern times, most Asians lived in rural settlements. The ancient and medieval structure of these cities was influenced by the cultural values of the Indigenous peoples living there. In most cases, these cities passed through a period of restructuring at the hands of European colonial rulers.

Ancient & Medieval City: Beijing

Archaeological evidence of Beijing dates from 1045 B.C.E., according to official government studies, although the city may have been founded thousands of years earlier. A succession of invaders and dynasties shaped what is now the central area of Beijing. The Yuan and Ming dynasties had especially strong impacts on the early structure of Beijing.

Beijing During the Yuan Dynasty

Kubla Khan, founder of the Yuan dynasty, constructed a new city called Dadu beginning in 1264. The Drum Tower was constructed at the center of the city in 1272. The heart of Dadu was three palaces built on Qionghua Island in the middle of Taiye Lake. The two palaces to the west of the lake housed the imperial family, and the eastern one contained offices. Residential areas were laid out in a checkerboard pattern divided by wider roads and narrower alleys. Three markets were placed in the residential areas. An outer wall surrounded the residential areas, and an inner wall surrounded the palaces.

Medieval Beijing

(a) Beijing (Dadu) during the Yuan Dynasty. (b) Beijing during Ming Dynasty.

Forbidden City and Drum Tower, Beijing

Beijing During the Ming Dynasty

After capturing Dadu in 1368, the Ming dynasty reconstructed it over the next several decades (Figure 13-30b). The imperial palace was demolished and replaced with new structures, including the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. Other temples were added in the sixteenth century. The city took on the current name Beijing (“Northern Capital”) in 1403.

Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Colonial Legacy

When Europeans gained control of much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, their colonial policies left a heavy mark on many cities. One feature of European control was the imposition of standardized plans for cities. For example, all Spanish cities in Latin America were built according to the Laws of the Indies, drafted in 1573. The laws explicitly outlined how colonial cities were to be constructed—a gridiron street plan centered on a church and central plaza, walls around individual houses, and neighborhoods built around central, smaller plazas with parish churches or monasteries.

In some places, European colonial powers built a new city next to the existing one. Fès (Fez), Morocco, is an example of a city that consists of two separate and distinct nodes—a precolonial city that existed before the French gained control and one built by the French colonialists (Figure 13-33). The precolonial Islamic city was laid out surrounding a mosque. The center also had a bazaar or marketplace, known as the Medinah, which served as the commercial core. The old quarters had narrow, winding streets, little open space, and cramped residences.

Precolonial and Colonial Fès (FEZ): Street Patterns

The precolonial town to the east (Medinah on the map) had narrow irregularly arranged streets and numerous mosques. The French colonial administration laid out an entirely new district in the west (New Town on the map), with geometrically arranged streets and squares.

Fès (FEZ) Morocco Old and New Towns

Looking west, the Medinah (Old Town) is in the foreground, and the French-built New Town is in the background. A portion of the wall that encircles the Medinah is visible between the Old Town and New Town.

The new city of Fès was the location for colonial services, such as administration, military command, and international trade, as well as housing for European colonists. Compared to the precolonial node, the European district contained wider streets and public squares, larger houses surrounded by gardens, and much lower density.

In other cases, European colonial powers simply demolished the precolonial city. For example, the French colonial city of Saigon, Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City), was built by completely demolishing the existing city without leaving a trace. Mexico City, described on pages 478-79, is another example.

Pause & Reflect 13.2.4

Which node in Fès do you think would be more interesting to visit, the Medinah or the French colonial center? Why?