· The center of plazas should be kept free.
· Rules govern the size and shape of plazas. Town squares of big cities are larger than those of.
small towns. A hierarchy of sizes should exist within the squares of each town. The size (and.
therefore the shape) of the plaza should be in proportion to the size and height of the buildings.
dominating it.
· Plazas work best when irregular in shape (this also reinforces being able to keep the .
center free).
· A cluster of plazas can emphasize a city's focal point.
· While straight roads with good proportion between length and width can work well and are.
often necessary, the curves and meanders of ancient streets are preferable where terrain or.
other local circumstances suggest such treatment. Enclosed streets with varied alignments.
are more interesting than long straight streets crossed with endless intersections.
Sitte suggests his principles promoting artistic importance need only apply to the major plazas and.
thoroughfares of a town or city [or suburb perhaps] to awaken civic spirit - while the broad mass of.
living quarters should be business like and can be turned over to traffic and daily needs.
Sitte laments: "It is above all the enormous size to which our larger cities are growing that has shattered the framework of traditional artistic forms at every point. The larger the city, the bigger and wider the plazas and streets become, and the higher and bulkier are all the.
structures, until their dimensions, what with their numerous floors and interminable rows.
of windows, can hardly be organised any more in an artistically effective manner. The high price of building lots leads to their utmost utilization, as a result of which a number of effective motifs have been abandoned in recent years. .
Completely building up each lot always tends to produce the characteristic cubic mass of modern times. Projections, porches, ornamental staircases, arcades, corner turrets etc have become for.