Urban tissue and the character of towns

This paper is concerned with the question of identifying and describing the general and historical character of human settlements. Beginning with a brief overview of the subject, the paper examines some basic issues concerning the perception of character and its historical dimension, highlighting a number of fundamental principles. The central argument of the paper is that the concept of urban tissue offers an effective framework for identifying and describing the physical characteristics that contribute to the general and historical character of towns. Specific, detailed procedures for identifying tissues are outlined, and an example is given. Applications in planning and urban design are also discussed: in particular, application to character assessment and conservation area definition. Further, the necessity of seeing character as only the outward aspect of a process involving humans and their environment is noted. This underlines the need to put any account of physical characteristics within the context of other aspects such as activities and intentions in order to move towards a better account of character.