Pioneers

As illustrated in the previous chapter, the history of environmental design finds its roots in the ancient essays by such Latin authors as Varrone, Columella, Cato, and Vitruvius and in common Roman planning practice that was primarily rediscovered during the Renaissance. L.B. Alberti’s urban theories, contained in De Re Aedificatoria, based mainly on Vitruviuan principles, influenced planning in the fifteenth century, pointing out local microclimatic characteristics. According to Benevolo, European colonies in American territories are the most significant urban planning examples from the sixteenth century. New cities employed an urban grid usually defined by square blocks. In 1573, Philip II codified this model into the first town planning act of the modern era. The law included some recommendations for protecting the public square from prevailing winds, confirming the Roman approach described in the previous chapter.