The study of urban form in Cyprus (2)

Abstract

The history of Cypriot cities, in particular the capital of Nicosia and the main historical port of Famagusta, has been the subject of a wide variety of publications. However, the study of their urban form is relatively recent and, until the establishment of architectural schools within Cypriot universities, it has been carried out within research establishments outside of Cyprus. Consequently, urban morphological research in Cyprus is highly influenced by international schools of thought where researchers carried out their studies – most of them within Britain. The application of different morphological approaches is now being continued within Cypriot Universities. This paper discusses how different approaches to urban morphological research have been deployed in the context of urban form studies of Cypriot cities and reviews the existing morphological studies, which date back to the 1980s, but also presents key research in related urban studies disciplines, such as planning. The review reveals that there remains a strong focus on two approaches: the historical-geographical and the configurational, although typological studies also do exist. Certain themes, especially relating to physical divisions and social interactions, also feature quite prominently in the literature. The paper finally highlights how the body of work on Cypriot cities is developing steadily.