URBAN MORPHOLOGY: An Introduction to the Study of the Physical Form of Cities

Urban morphology, a specialized field that examines the form of cities, the formal and structural elements that constitute the physical fabric, the conditions under which these elements combine, and the processes and actors that cause formation, change, and transformation in urban form, is concerned with understanding the present as well as analyzing the different layers of the city from a historical perspective, and supports the development of future predictions.
Significant developments have occurred in the field of urban morphology in recent decades, more than a century after its establishment. The field, where widespread activity in architecture, planning, and geography was observed, became institutionalized with the establishment of the International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF) in 1994 and the launch of the international peer-reviewed journal Urban Morphology in 1997, becoming a discipline that allowed for the tracking of more systematic and scientific knowledge. The widespread adoption of urban morphology studies on an international scale was made possible by regional networks established in different countries in association with ISUF. Within this framework, the Turkish Urban Morphology Network (TNUM) was founded in 2014.
Vitor Oliveira's book, "Urban Morphology: An Introduction to the Study of the Physical Form of Cities," written in 2016 after he realized, in his own words, that there was "no handbook on urban morphology in the studies of the physical forms of cities," became one of the fundamental books in the field of urban morphology. Oliveira's emphasized "English language barrier" limited the opportunities for researchers in urban morphology in our country to engage with international literature. Based on this observation, the process of translating this fundamental book into Turkish by Tuğçe Tezer was completed with a meticulous final reading by Tolga Ünlü, who has made significant contributions to the development of urban morphology in our country. The book "Urban Morphology" is a bedside book that will be useful for all readers involved in research, education, and practice processes in Turkey, especially academics and students working in urban morphology, architecture, urban planning, and urban-environmental management.