Roman Town Planning

• The Romans were influenced by Greek ideas on Town Planning, in particular the Grid Plan favoured by Hippodamus of Miletus.

Roman Streets

• All Roman towns, cities and forts had a grid system of streets based on two intersecting roads:
  • Cardo Maximus
    • Also known as the Cardo, it was the main north-south road.
    • In a Fort, this was known as the Via Principalis.
  • Decumanus Maximus
    • This was the main east-west road that intersected the Cardo.
    • In a Fort, this was known as the Via Praetoria.
  • Forum
    • Every Roman town or city had a Forum placed at the intersection of these two main roads.
    • In a Fort, this was known as the Principia.

Hippodamus of Miletus (498-408 BCE)

• Hippodamus is considered to be the Father of European Town Planning (498-408 BCE).
• He was an Architect, Town Planner, Mathematician, Meteorologist and Physician.
• He wrote ‘Urban Planning Study for Piraeus’ in 451 BCE.
• Hippodamus appears to have invented the Grid Plan for town planning.

Dinocrates of Rhodes (c.332 BCE)

• In 332 BCE, Alexander the Great commissioned Dinocrates to plan the new city of Alexandria in Egypt.
• The city was planned on the Hippodamian grid plan along with its hydraulic plans for water supply and drainage.

Vitruvius ‘De Architectura’ (88-26 BCE)

• Vitruvius was a Roman Architect and a Civil and Military Engineer.
• Vitruvius wrote in great detail about Aqueducts including the use of the inverted syphon.

Timgad

• The Roman Ruins of Timgad (c100 CE) in Algeria are notable for displaying a Grid Plan.

Timgad: A Roman City Grid Plan