New ways of life have brought about changes in the forms of settlement and have manifested themselves, above all, in the development of cities. With the gradual concentration of industry and the increase in the number of inhabitants, the structural change in the basic functions of cities takes place. The era of classicism came at a very important time in European urban planning. At that time, not only residential units, but also non-residential objects and public places requiring architectural design were being laid in masses: hospitals, museums, schools, parks, etc.
Classicism is associated with the most significant urban planning concepts and their implementation in nature of the late XVIII and the first half of the XIX century. The new organization of settlement, aimed at overcoming social inequality and creating a new social harmony, is offered at the end of the XIX century by socialist utopians. Projects of residential communes and phalancers (implemented, however, insignificant number) preserved the image and spatial features typical of Classicism.
The result of architectural theories of the age of Enlightenment, set out and repeated in many treatises of the late XVIII century, can be briefly defined as follows: the scope of urban development in the complete absence of architectural masterpieces. Perhaps our judgment will seem superficial. Indeed, there were architects who did not want to create masterpieces.
For them, architecture was not an expression and confirmation of some concept of peace, religious or political ideals. Its task is to serve society. Construction, decorum, typology are subject to this task with necessity. Since the life of society changes very quickly, it is necessary to meet the new requirements and new types of buildings, i.e. to build not only a church or palace, but also a middle-class residential building, hospital, school, museum, port, market, etc.
From a monument building to a building expressing a certain social function, the unity of such functions creates an urban organism, and its structure is the coordination of these functions. Since social coordination is based on the principles of reasonableness, urban planning plans become more rational, i.e. follow clear rectangular or radial geometric schemes that consist of wide and straight streets, large square or circular in terms of area.
The idea of interrelation of human society and nature is expressed in the city in the introduction of wide green areas, most often parks near palaces or gardens of former monasteries that became state after the revolution.
As compositional-planning and functional methods of aesthetic uniformity of structure in classicism were used:
- Symmetry of the urban plan; design of decorative ramparts and moats around the settlement, emphasizing the laconic form of its plan and contributing to the impression of the integrity of the city in nature;
- The organization of the retail space in each settlement as the main element of its social center;
- Creation of small squares in different areas with a general layout;
- Uniform, but different in detail layout of the streets leading to each square (in the form of an axis of symmetry, diagonally oriented to the angles of rays, etc.);
- A vivid and comprehensive embodiment of the idea of staging dominants in the completion of specific perspectives along the streets of different town-planning significance, rivers, streams, ravines;
- A special case of the semantic integrity of the city - when it is located on both sides of the river, the correspondence of the three-part structure of the landscape of one side of the tripartite planning of the opposite side, the unity of spatially separated natural and artificial systems.
The history of development of cities in the Classicism period can be divided into two main stages. The first, still connected with the ideas of the Baroque, is characterized by a classical composition, which proceeds from the Renaissance ideas and theories of urban construction. The second stage takes place in the second half of the 19th century and is characterized by a wide reconstruction of cities, in particular, their liberation from the system of fortress walls. During the construction of new and reconstruction of existing cities new systems of engineering networks, urban lighting and other technical equipment were laid down.
The innovations include urban public transport, as well as access to existing and new parks. The development of cities is beginning to be regulated by building regulations. In architecture, new public requirements have led to the emergence of forms and completely new types of structures. Changes in the structure of society have led to the loss of the significance of traditional types of buildings - palaces, castles, monasteries and temples are being overshadowed.
The new types of buildings include industrial and transport constructions, apartment buildings, residential settlements for industrial and agricultural workers, new medical and sports buildings, schools, theatres, banks, commercial and administrative buildings, exhibition halls. Both the interior and its equipment are being changed at the same time. The interior becomes more functional. The change of tastes required the use of new means, artistic handicrafts, industrial products made of glass and metal and new furniture. The construction of engineering structures, especially roads and roads, has reached a large scale and bridges, as well as military facilities.
Scientific discoveries and new equipment had a significant impact on the development of architecture. Most of all it is noticeable on occurrence of new ways of building, designs and materials, especially in connection with wider application of metal and the arisen possibility to pass from empirical knowledge to scientific researches and theoretical generalizations in this area.