Generally, urbanism is a concept that is sometimes found to be difficult to define. In fact, some scholars who have tried to define it, have found their definitions fall short of something in terms of clarity or overgeneralization. In the context of this book, we will try to view some of the perspectives that have been put forward in an attempt to bring to light what urbanism is about.
To begin with, literature shows that, the most consistent definition of urbanism according to Raptis (2017) comes from Louis Wirth a sociologist in 1938. According to Louis Wirth, urbanism is described as a characteristic mode of life that may be approached empirically from three interrelated perspectives.
First as a physical structure comprising a population base, a technology, and an ecological order. Second as a system of social organization involving a characteristic social structure, a series of social institutions, and a typical pattern of social relationships and lastly as a set of attitudes and ideas, and a constellation of personalities engaging in typical forms of collective behavior and subject to characteristic mechanisms of social control.
From Louis’s definition, we note that, although Louis Wirth came up with this definition in 1938 and envisioned the urban environment according to those times, his definition explains very well which perspectives must be considered when discussing urbanism. In this regard, urbanism needs to be seen as an approach to life in cities, which is the result of social concentration and masses of people gathering to create societies.
Author(s) Details:
Daniel Wandera Clief Naku,
Department of Geography, St. John’s University of Tanzania, Dodoma, Tanzania.