Coperta revistei Urbanismul, nr.

9-10, septembrie-octombrie 1934, n facsimil

Cover of Urbanismul magazine no. 9-10, september-october 1934, in facsimile
Couverture de la revue Urbanismul, no. 9-10, septembre-octobre, 1934, en facsimil

Arhiva personal / Personal archive / Archive personnelle

erban Popescu-Criveanu

Editat de Registrul Urbanitilor din Romnia

Published by the Register of Romanian Urban Planners
dite par le Registre des Urbanistes Roumains

CUPRINS / CONTENT / CONTENU

EDITORIAL / EDITORIAL / EDITORIAL

Ioan Iano
Oraul ca sistem i sistemul urban / The City as a System and the Urban System / La Ville
comme systeme et le systeme urbain 4

PORTRET / PORTRAIT

Mihail CAFF
Mincu i oraul romnesc / Mincu and the Romanian City / Mincu et la ville roumaine
Colegiul de redacie / Editorial College / College de rdaction
erban Popescu-Criveanu Preedinte
Gabriel Pascariu Coordonatorul numrului 11/2012
Liviu Iani
Kzmr Kovcs
Vintil Mihilescu
Crian Victor Popescu
Alexandru M. Sandu
Ileana Tureanu
Redactor ef / Editor in chief / diteur en chef
Maria Mnescu
Secretar general de redacie / Secretary editor / Secrtaire de
rdaction
Adrian Abrudan
Graphic Design - DTP
MB Studio
Octavian Carabela, Marius Marcu-Lapadat
Colaboratori / Collaborators / Collaborateurs
Mihai Alexandru
Traduceri / Translations / Traductions
Ileana Plopeanu, Maria Mnescu
Fotografii / Photos / Photos
Lorin Niculae
Tiprit de / Printed by / Imprim par
Artix Plus SRL
Redacia / Editorial Office / Redaction
Str. Tudor Arghezi nr. 21, Et. VI, Sector 2, 020943, Bucureti
Tel./Fax: 021. 311.83.38
E-mail: revista.urbanismul@rur.ro
Editorul i redacia nu se consider responsabile pentru opiniile
i ideile exprimate de autori n materialele publicate n revista
Urbanismul-Serie Nou.

REPERE / REFERENCE POINTS / REPRES

Maria MNESCU
Urbanismul care compune, protejeaz i construiete. nceputurile urbanismului
regional / The Urban Planning that Composes, Protects and Builds. The Beginnings of the
Regional Urban Planning / Lurbanisme qui compose, protege et construit. Les debuts de
lurbanisme regional 14
Doina BUBULETE
In memoriam Marica Solomon

29

INTERVIU / INTERVIEW

Mihai ALEXANDRU
Grand Lyon, o metropol inovatoare. Interviu acordat de Bernard Lensel revistei
Urbanismul Serie Nou, iunie 2012 / Grand Lyon, a pioneer metropolis. Interview given
by Bernard Lensel to the Urbanismul Serie Nou Magazine, june 2012 / Grand Lyon, une
metropole novatrice. Interview accorde par Bernard Lensel a la revue Urbanismul Serie
Nou, juin 2012 30

EVENIMENTE / EVENTS / VNEMENTS

Radu Matei COCHECI

Grand Lyon 2030. Agrafe urbane pentru refacerea esutului urban / Grand Lyon 2030.
Urban stitches to mend the urban fabric / Grand Lyon 2030. Agrafes urbaines pour refaire
le tissu urbain 38
Kzmr KOVCS
Bulevardele din nordul Bucuretiului, monumente istorice sau artere majore de
tranzit spre centru? / The Avenues in the North of Bucharest, Historical Monuments or
Major Transit Arteries towards the City Center ? / Les boulevards du nord du Bucarest,
monuments historiques ou artres majeures de transit vers le centre ? 43
Adrian ABRUDAN
Urbanismul la Academia Ideilor din Chiinu / Urbanismul at the Academy of Ideas
in Chiinu / Urbanismul a lAcademie des Idees de Chiinu 44
Radu Matei COCHECI
Hans Joachim Burkner - Guvernana oraului creativ: politica interactiv de
placemaking este soluia?/ The Governance of the Creative City: is the Interactive Policy
of placemaking the Solution? / La gouvernance de la ville creative: est-ce que la solution
est la politique interactive de placemaking? 45
Radu Matei COCHECI
Pieter de Haan - Shared Space

46

Radu Matei COCHECI

Jan Gehl,
Orae pentru oameni / Cities for People / La ville pour les hommes

47

Lorin NICULAE
ARHIPERA_Dor Mrunt. coala de var de arhitectur social participativ / The Social
Participatory Architecture Summer School / LEcole dete sur larchitecture sociale et
participative, 23-28 iulie / July / juillet 2012 48
2

CUPRINS

12-13 / 2012 URBANISMUL

Cristina Olga GOCIMAN

Bienala Naional de Arhitectur Bucureti 2012 / The National Architecture Biennale,
Bucharest 2012 / La Biennale Nationale dArchitecture, Bucarest 2012 51

Ctlin SRBU
Un sistem urban aparte: Brila Galai / A Special Urban System: Brila Galai /
Un systme urbain part: Brila Galai 78

Mihaela PUNAVA, Oana-Maria Paraschiv

BNAB 2012. Despre nevoia de ierarhie / Dealing with the Need for Hierarchy / Au sujet
du besoin dhierarchie 53

Florin BUHOCIU
Premise i posibiliti comune de dezvoltare economico - social / Premises and
Common Possibilities of Economic-Social Development of the Danubian Space
Brila - Galai / Prmisses et possibilits communes de dveloppement conomique
et social de lespace Danubien Brila - Galai 90

Diplome M.D.R.T. la BNAB

Maria MNESCU
Revista Urbanismul Serie Nou

54

Liviu IANI
Conceptul Strategic Bucureti 2035

Drago Horia BUHOCIU

Elemente de dezvoltare ale frontului la ap urban n Sistemul Urban Brila-Galai /
Elements of Development of the Urban Waterfront in the Urban System Brila Galai /
Elments de dveloppement du front deau urbain dans le Systme Urbain Brila-Galai 93

55

Recenzii / New Releases / Nouvelles apparitions

Maria MNESCU
Revista REPERE / Repere Magazine / La revue Repere

TIMIOARA
Radu RADOSLAV, tefana BDESCU, Ana Maria BRANEA, Mihai DANCIU,
Marius Stelian GMAN
Sistemul urban Timioara n epoca modern / The Urban System of Timioara in
the modern era / Le systme urbain de Timioara lpoque moderne 98

56

Maria BOTENARU DAN

Spaiul verde redescoperit / The green space rediscovered / LEspace vert redecouvert

58

Timotei FECIORU
Brila n cri potale ilustrate / Brila in illustrated postcards / Brila en cartes postales
illustrees 60
Adrian IANCU
Regulamente urbane / Urban Regulations / Reglements urbains

62

Gabriel PASCARIU
Evenimentele anului 2013 / The Events of 2013 / Les evenements de lannee 2013

63

GLOSAR

Mihai ALEXANDRU
De la aglomeraie urban la sistem urban / From the urban agglomeration to the urban
system / De lagglomeration urbaine au systeme urbain 64

DOSAR / FILE / DOSSIER

66

SISTEME URBANE / Urban Systems / Systmes urbains

Alexandru Gabriel M. SANDU
Sistem (urban)?! / (Urban) System?! / Systeme (Urbain)?!

68

Doina CRISTEA
Unele detalii legate de abordarea sistemic n urbanism / Some details concerning the
systems approach in urban planning / Quelques details lies de lapproche systemique de
lurbanisme 70
BRILA-GALAI
Ionel CNDEA
Brila-Galai sau / or / ou Galai-Brila zon de convergen istoric / BrilaGalai or Galai-Brila area of historical convergence / Brila-Galai ou GalaiBrila Zone de convergence historique 73
Costel DRGAN
Scenarii de dezvoltare a sistemului urban Brila Galai / Development Scenarios
for the Brila Galai Urban System / Scnarios de dveloppement du systme urbain
Brila Galai 76

URBANISMUL 12-13 / 2012

BRAOV
Matei COCHECI
Modele instituionale pentru gestiunea sistemelor urbane: Zona Metropolitan
Braov / Institutional Models for the Management of Urban Systems. The Braov
Metropolitan Area / Modles institutionnels pour la gestion des systmes urbains. La
Zone Mtropolitaine Braov 109
Angelica STAN
Rolul agriculturii urbane i peri-urbane n dezvoltarea sistemelor de localiti / The
Role of the Urban and Periurban Agriculture in Developing the Systems of Localities /
Le rle de lagriculture urbaine et priurbaine dans le dveloppement du systme des
localits 112
Liviu IANI
Sistemul urban Copenhaga-Malmo, un tandem urbanistic transfrontalier / The Urban
System Copenhagen Malm, a Cross-Border Tandem / Le systme urbain Copenhague Malm, un tandem urbain transfrontalier 115

PROIECTE / PROJECTS / PROJETS 120

Master de management urban pentru orae competitive: Brila

Galai / Master in urban management for competitive cities /
Master en gestion urbaine pour villes competitives
Cristina TEFAN
Brila Galai: sistem urban creativ / Brila Galai: creative urban system / Brila
Galai: system urbain creatif 121
Rzvan Alexandru BOAGIU
Sistemul de parcuri i pduri urbane Brila-Galai / The Brila-Galai System of Urban
Parks and Forests / Le systeme de parcs et forets urbains de Brila-Galai 128
Marius COSTACHE
Politic urban privind reabilitarea zonei centrale Brila / Urban Policy for the
Rehabilitation of the Central Zone of Brila / Politique urbaine pour la rehabilitation de la
zone centrale de Brila 132

AGORA 135
ENGLISH ABSTRACTS / RESUMS EN FRANAIS 156

CUPRINS

Ioan IANO

Oraul ca sistem i sistemul urban.

Spre o clarificare epistemologic

u exist nicio ndoial c oraul reprezint cel mai complex sistem teritorial, iar aceast realitate a fost constatat, direct sau indirect, prin studii ntreprinse nc din prima
parte a secolului al XIX-lea. Primele decenii de dup cel de-al
doilea rzboi mondial au fost dominate de aplicarea n toate
tiinele a teoriei generale a sistemelor. Evident c oraul nu
a scpat de o asemenea abordare, multiplele sale faete fiind
analizate ntr-un tot global, orice schimbare a unei componente atrgnd modificri ale structurii i comportamentelor celorlalte. Rmne remarcabil pentru distincia dintre
ora i sistemul urban lucrarea lui B.J. Berry, publicat n
anul 1964: Cities as Systems within Systems of Cities. Concluziile cercettorului american au fost preluate ulterior de ali
specialiti, demonstrnd necesitatea unor clarificri privind
conceptul de ora ca sistem i cel de sistem urban (Douglas, 1981; Iano, 1987; Iano i Humeau, 2000).
n paralel, dinamica teritorial a necesitat extinderea preocuprilor asupra reelelor de aezri, apariia i fundamentarea
noiunii de sistem de aezri, inclusiv de sistem urban. nsui
Berry revine dup civa ani, definind sistemul urban ca un
ansamblu de obiecte (locuri centrale), de atribute ale acestora (populaie, cldiri, tipuri de activiti, trafic), de interrelaii ntre aceste obiecte (localizarea centrelor) i atributele
lor (grafice de relaii dublu logaritmice), de interdependene ntre obiecte i atributele lor (ierarhia locurilor centrale)
(Berry, 1967, p.138). Dup aproape un deceniu, sistemul de
aezri (inclusiv urban) este privit ca un set de aezri integrate i organizate, interdependente i interacionnd prin
multiple relaii i legturi (Dziewonski, i Jerczynski, 1978).
Oraul ca sistem. Aa cum rezult din majoritatea studiilor
ntreprinse asupra sistemelor urbane, oraul rmne elementul fundamental n interpretarea, evoluia i optimiza-

EDITORIAL

rea acestora. Condiia este ca oraul s fie privit ca un sistem

termodinamic i informaional optimal deschis. O asemenea
viziune nu neag caracterul de sistem deschis (Da Cunha i
Racine, 2003), dar ofer baza teoretic ce fundamenteaz
caracterul negentropic, gradul de autonomie material i
informaional a oraului, capacitatea acestuia de a-i crea
propria identitate i de a se plasa la distane diferite de integrarea complet n mediu.
Conceput ca un cmp multiscalar al fluxurilor, cu distincie
net ntre fluxurile de intrare i de ieire, cu relaii de tip feed-back, prin care unele ieiri sunt integrate la intrri, oraul
funcioneaz ca un organism viu, bazat pe relaii strnse cu
aezrile din jur, cu alte orae situate la distane variabile,
toate inserate ntr-un mediu global. Relaiile prefereniale
ale oraului cu zona de influen creeaz premisele conturrii locale a unui sistem de aezri axat pe oraul respectiv,
ntrind ideea c oraul poate fi conceput doar ca un sistem i nu ca un sistem urban. Rezult de aici c oraul este
o component a unui sistem mai mare, care poate fi sistemul
urban sau sistemul de aezri. mpreun cu zona sa de influen, oraul constituie un sistem de aezri, iar n condiii
particulare, cnd n zona de influen se afl un numr suficient de mare de orae, am putea discuta de un sistem urban
local sau supralocal.
Sistemul urban. La nceputul anilor 70 apare o serie de
articole care trateaz sistemele urbane, ncercnd s le defineasc (Smiles, 1971) sau s le asimileze altor tipuri de sisteme, precum cele cibernetice (McLoughlin, I.B., Webster,
1970). Evident c nc de la apariia ideii de utilizare a unei
noiuni mai performante dect cea de reea, niciun cercettor nu s-a gndit s fac din aceasta o analiz sistemic n
sine, ci s foloseasc anumite aspecte ale teoriei generale

12-13 / 2012 URBANISMUL

EDITORIAL / EDITORIAL / EDITORIAL

a sistemelor. n acest sens, se remarc una dintre cele mai

complete definiii ale sistemului urban, definiie care ine
cont de dinamica sistemului, care nu se regsete n niciuna
dintre abordrile anterioare. Conform acesteia, un sistem de
orae este definit ca un ansamblu, naional sau regional de
orae care sunt interdependente ntre ele, astfel nct orice
schimbare semnificativ n activitile economice, structura
profesional, venitul sau populaia unuia dintre orae va antrena direct sau indirect modificri n activitile economice,
structurile profesionale, venitul sau populaia unuia sau mai
multor elemente ale ansamblului (Pred, 1977, p.13).
Cum era i firesc, o asemenea idee nu a strnit numai fore
convergente dispuse s o accepte din start i dornice s testeze imediat noul concept, s-l mbogeasc i s-l aplice,
ci i opinii care au pus la ndoial capacitatea acestuia de a
aduce mai mult rigoare tiinific n abordare i mai multe
valene practice analizei teritoriale, plednd pentru continuarea verificrilor analitice. Printre acestea se remarc ideile ndreptite, de altfel, ale lui B.T. Robson (1973, p.19-20),
care sublinia c dac natura sistemului nu poate fi definit
cu o precizie suficient, aplicarea caracteristicilor de sistem
devine inadecvat i nesemnificativ sau cel puin dificil n
interpretare. Dac exist o asemenea dificultate n definirea
oraelor i alta i mai mare n identificarea naturii relaiilor
dintre aceste orae, atunci utilizarea conceptului de sistem,
pentru a lua n seam regularitile empirice, mbrac mai
mult dect un uor parfum de misticism.
n efortul de a defini conceptele i fundamentele empirice
ale sistemelor urbane, L. Bourne (1975) individualizeaz trei
nivele ierarhice la care se structureaz acestea: unul este
naional, distingndu-se metropolele naionale i reeaua
de centre metropolitane; al doilea se constituie la nivel regional, n jurul centrului regional, iar al treilea la nivel urban,
cruia i se asociaz centrele locale.
La nceputul anilor 90, sistemul urban a fost definit ca un
sistem complex, cu multiple interrelaii i n evoluie constant. Pentru a-l nelege este important s fie privit n toate
dimensiunile sale spaiale i temporale. Poate fi abordat prin
modelri fondate pe concepte aparinnd analizei sistemelor dinamice: auto-organizare, ordine departe de echilibru

URBANISMUL 12-13 / 2012

cu structuri disipative, rolul conjugat al determinismului i

hazardului n evoluia sistemelor, conjugarea schimbrilor regulate cu posibilitatea de bifurcaii, debund asupra
schimbrilor structurale (Sanders, 1992). n raport cu noiunile de reea sau armtur urban, sistemul urban, care a
reuit s le nlocuiasc, adaug la proprietile geometrice i
funcionale ale reelei urbane, conotaiile dinamice ale coerenei i sinergiei (Pumain, 1992).
Sintetiznd, putem spune c sistemele urbane sunt ansambluri constituite prin seturi de relaii de interdependen
ntre mai multe orae, n aa fel nct orice modificare important la nivelul unuia poate genera modificri semnificative
asupra caracteristicilor similare ale altor centre urbane.
n consecin, utilizarea conceptului de sistem urban
pentru un ora este incorect i generatoare de confuzii. De aceea, pentru a face distincie net ntre cele dou
concepte este necesar a preciza faptul c att oraul, ct i
sistemul urban pot fi analizate ca sisteme, dar oraului nu i se
poate asocia atributul de sistem urban. Acest ultim concept,
n mod obligatoriu, include noiunea de reea de orae, caracterizat printr-o nalt coeren i printr-un sinergism al
fluxurilor.
Referine bibliografice
BERRY, B.J.L. (1964), Cities as Systems within Systems of Cities, Papers of the Regional Science
Association, 13.
BOURNE, L.S. (1975), Urban systems, Strategies for regulation, Clarendon Press Oxford.
Da CUNHA, A., RACINE, J.B. (2003) Teaching and Research in Urban geography at the University
of Lausanne. A model at the beginning of a new century, Geographica Helvetica, 3.
DZIEWONSKI, K., JERCZYNSKI, M. (1978), Theory, methods of analysis and historical development of national settlement systems, Geographia Polonica, 39, p.201-209, cit. p.201.
DOUGLAS, J. (1981), The city as an Ecosystem, Progress in Physical geography, 5, 3 (p......).
IANO, I. (1987), Oraele i organizarea spaiului geografic. Studiu de geografie economic asupra
teritoriului Romniei, Editura Academiei, Bucureti.
IANOS, I. (2004), Dinamica urban. Aplicaii la oraul i sistemul urban romnesc, Editura tehnic,
Bucureti.
IANOS, I., HUMEAU J.B. (2000), Teoria sistemelor de aezri. Studiu introductiv, Editura tehnic,
Bucureti.
MCLOUGHLIN, I.B., WEBSTER, J.N. (1970), Cybernetic and general system approaches to urban
and regional research: a review of the literature, Environment and Planning, 2.
PRED, A.R. (1977), City systems in advanced economies, Hutchinson, London, p.13.
PUMAIN, D. (1992), Les systmes de villes, n vol. Encyclopdie de Gographie (ed. A. Bailly, R.
Ferras, D. Pumain), Economica, Paris.
ROBSON, B.T. (1973), Urban growth. Un approach, Methuen, London, p.19-20.
SANDERS, L. (1992), Systme de villes et Synergetique, Anthropos, Economica, Paris, p.26.
SMAILES, A.E. (1971), Urban systems, Transactions of The Institue of British Geographers, 53.

EDITORIAL

The City as a System and the Urban System.

Towards an Epistemological Clarification

o doubt the city represents the most complex territorial system and
this reality was ascertained directly and indirectly by studies carried
out since the XIXth century. The first decades after the Second World War
were dominated by the application of the general systems theory in all
sciences. It is clear that the city did not elude such an approach, its multiple faces being analyzed in a global whole, any change of a component
attiring modifications of the others structure and behaviors. B. P. Berrys
work, published in 1964, entitled Cities as Systems within Systems of Cities is still considered remarkable for the distinctions between the city
and the urban system. The conclusions of the American researcher were
taken over subsequently by other experts proving the necessity of certain
clarifications on the concept of the city as a system as well as that of the
urban system (Douglas, 1981; Iano, 1987; Iano and Humeau, 2000).
The territorial dynamics required in parallel the expansion of the interest
area on the human settlement networks, on the emergence of the notion
of human settlement system, providing a scientific basis for it as well
as for the notion of urban system. Berry himself comes back after a
few years defining the urban system as an assembly of objects (central
places), of their attributes (population, buildings, types of activity,
traffic), of interrelations among these objects (location of centers) and
their attributes (graphics on the double logarithmic relations), interdependencies between the objects and their attributes (hierarchy of the
central places) (Berry, 1967, p.138). The settlement system (urban system
included) is considered, after almost a decade, as a set of integrated
and organized, inter-dependent settlements which inter-act by multiple
relations and connections (Dziewonski, and Jerczynski, 1978).
The city as a system. As it results from the majority of the studies
carried out on the urban systems, the city remains the basic element
in the interpretation, evolution and their optimization. The condition is
that it should be considered as an optimal open thermodynamic and
information system. Such a vision does not deny the character of an
open system (Da Cunha and Racine, 2003), but it offers a theoretical basis
that grounds the non-gentropic character, the degree of material and
informational autonomy of the city, its capacity to create its own identity
and to place itself at different distances beside the complete integration
in the environment.
Imagined as a multi-scale field of flows, with a clear distinction between
the input and output flows, with relations of the feed-back type by which
some outputs are integrated in the inputs, the city functions as a live body
based on closed relations with the surrounding settlements, with other
cities situated at variable distances, all inserted in a global environment.
The preferential relations of the city with the influential area create at
local level the premises of outlining a settlement system centered on the
respective city, strengthening the idea that the city can be conceived
only as a system and not as an urban system. It results that the city is
a component of a greater system, which can be the urban system or the
settlement system. Together with its influential area, the city constitutes
a settlement system and, in special conditions, when a sufficient great
number of cities are in its influential area, we could discuss on a local
urban or a super-local system.
The urban system. A series of articles appear at the beginning of the 70s
treating the urban systems, trying to define (Smiles, 1971) or to assimilate
them to other types of systems, such as the cybernetic ones (McLoughlin,
I.B., Webster, 1970). It is obvious that since the appearance of the idea to
use a better performing notion than that of the network, no researcher
thought of making out of it a systemic analysis in itself, but to use certain

EDITORIAL

aspects of the general systems theory. In this respect, we can remark one
of the most complete definitions of the urban system, a definition that
takes into account the dynamics of the system, which cannot be found
in any of the previous approaches. According to it, a system of interdependent cities is defined as a national or regional assembly of cities,
so that any significant change in the economic activities, professional
structure, income or population of one of the component cities would
incur directly or indirectly modifications in the economic activities,
professional structure, income or population of one or more elements of
the assembly (Pred, 1977, p.13).
Of course, such an idea provoked not only convergent forces disposed
to accept it from the beginning and wishing to test immediately the new
concept, to improve it and to apply it, but also opinions that questioned its
capacity to bring more scientific rigor in approaching and more practical
valences to the territorial analysis pleading for the continuation of the
analytical verifications. We can remark among them the ideas, justified
for that matter, of B.T. Robson (1973, p.19-20) who underlined that if
the nature of the system cannot be defined with a sufficient precision,
the application of the system characteristics becomes inadequate and
insignificant or at least difficult in interpreting. If there is such a difficulty
in defining cities and a greater one in identifying the nature of the
relations among these cities, then the use of the system concept, taking
into account the empiric regulations, wears more than a slight perfume
of mysticism.
In the effort to define the concepts and the empirical foundations of the
urban systems, L. Bourne (1975) individualizes three hierarchical levels
they structure on: one is national, distinguishing the national metropolis
(metropolises) and the network of metropolitan centers; the second one
is constituted at the regional level around the regional center and the
third at the urban level having associated the local centers.
At the beginning of the 90s, the urban system was defined as a
complex system with multiple interrelations and a constant evolution.
To understand it, it is important to be considered in all its spatial
and temporal dimensions. It can be approached by patterns based
on concepts belonging to the analysis of the dynamic systems: selforganization, order far from equilibrium with dissipative structures, the
conjugated role of determinism and hazard in the evolution of systems,
joined regular changes with the possibility of bifurcations, coming out
at structural changes (Sanders, 1992). In comparison with the notions
of network and urban armature, the urban system, which succeeded
in replacing them, adds the dynamic connotations of the coherence
and synergy to the geometrical and functional properties of the urban
network (Pumain, 1992).
Synthetizing, we can say that urban systems are assemblies constituted
by sets of inter-dependent relations among a number of cities in such
a way that any important modification at the level of one can generate
significant modifications on the similar characteristics of other urban
centers.
In consequence, the use of the urban system concept for a city is
incorrect and it generates confusions. To make a clear distinguish
between the two concepts it is necessary to specify that both the city and
the urban system can be analyzed as systems, but the attribute of urban
system cannot be associated to the city. The concept of urban system
includes compulsorily the notion of network of cities characterized by a
high coherence and a synergy of flows.
12-13 / 2012 URBANISMUL

La ville comme systme et le systme urbain.

Vers une clarification epistemologique

l ny a aucune doute que la ville reprsente le plus complexe systme territorial et que cette ralit a t constate, directement ou indirectement,
par des tudes ralises depuis le dbut du XIX-me sicle. Les premires
dcennies daprs la deuxime Guerre Mondiale ont t domines par lapplication de la thorie gnrale des systmes toutes les sciences. Evidemment que la ville na pas chapp une telle approche, ses multiples facettes
tant ainsi analyses comme un tout global et chaque changement dune
partie composante entranant des modifications dans la structure et le comportement des autres. Loeuvre de B.J. Berry, publi en 1964: Cities as Systems
within Systems of Cities reste remarquable pour la distinction entre ville et
systme urbain. Les conclusions du chercheur amricain ont t prises ultrieurement par des autres spcialistes, montrant ainsi que les concepts de la
ville comme systme et du systme urbain (Douglas, 1981; Iano, 1987;
Iano et Humeau, 2000) ncessitent des clarifications.
Paralllement, la dynamique territoriale a ncessit lextension des proccupations sur les rseaux de localits, lapparition et la fondation de la notion
de systme de localits et de systme urbain. Berry revient lui-mme
aprs quelques annes pour dfinir le systme urbain comme ensemble
dobjets (lieux centraux), dattributs de ceux-ci (populations, btiments, types dactivits, trafic), dinterrelations entre ces objets (localisation des centres) et leurs attributs (graphiques des relations double-logarithmiques),
dinterdpendances entre objets et leurs attributs (la hirarchie des lieux
centraux) (Berry, 1967, p.138). Aprs presquune dcennie, le systme des
localits (le systme urbain inclusivement) est vu comme ensemble de
localits intgres et organises, interdpendantes qui interactionnent par
multiples relations et liens (Dziewonski, et Jerczynski, 1978).
La ville comme systme. Ainsi, comme rsultat de la majorit des tudes
ralises sur les systmes urbains, la ville reste llment fondamental pour
linterprtation, lvolution et loptimisation de ceux-ci condition que le
systme urbain soit trait comme un systme thermodynamique et informationnel optimal ouvert. Une telle vision ne nie pas le caractre de systme
ouvert (Da Cunha et Racine, 2003), mais offre la base thorique qui fonde le
caractre nguentropique, le degr d autonomie matrielle et informationnelle de la ville, la capacit de celle-ci de crer une identit propre et de
se positionner plus proche ou plus loin vis--vis de lintgration complte
dans lenvironnement.
Conu comme un champ multiscalaire des flux, avec une distinction nette
entre les flux dentre et les flux de sortie, par des relations de type feedback qui permettent lintgration de quelques sorties aux entres, la ville
fonctionne comme un organisme vivant qui a des relations troites avec les
localits qui lentourent, avec des autres villes situes aux distances variables, toutes insres dans un environnement global. Les relations prfrentielles de la ville avec la zone dinfluence crent les prmisses de coaguler
au niveau local un systme de localits centr sur cette ville, en consolidant
lide que la ville peut tre conue seulement comme un systme et pas
comme un systme urbain. Il en rsulte que la ville est une composante
dun systme plus grand, qui peut tre le systme urbain ou le systme des
localits. La ville et sa zone dinfluence constituent un systme de localits
et, dans des conditions particulires quand dans la zone dinfluence il y a un
assez grand nombre de villes, on pourrait discuter dun systme urbain local
ou supralocal.
Le systme urbain. Au dbut des annes 70 apparaisse une srie darticles
qui essaient de donner une dfinition aux systmes urbains (Smiles, 1971)
ou de les assimiler aux autres types de systmes, comme les systmes cyberntiques (McLoughlin, I.B., Webster, 1970). Evidemment que, depuis lapparition de lide de lutilisation dune notion plus performante que celle de
rseau, aucun chercheur na pas pens de faire de celle-ci une analyse systmique en-soi, mais dutiliser quelques aspects de la thorie gnrale des sysURBANISMUL 12-13 / 2012

tmes. Dans ce sens, on peut remarquer une des plus compltes dfinitions
du systme urbain, qui prend en compte la dynamique du systme, absente
de toutes les approches antrieures. Conformment cette dfinition, un
systme des villes est un ensemble national ou rgional de villes si interdpendantes entre elles quun changement significatif dans les activits conomiques, dans la structure professionnelle, dans le revenu ou la population
dune des villes composantes entranerait directement ou indirectement des
modifications dans les activits conomiques, les structures professionnelles, les revenus ou les populations dun ou de plusieurs lments de lensemble (Pred, 1977, p.13).
Naturellement, une telle ide na pas rveill seulement des forces convergentes prtes accepter le nouveau concept sans conditions et soucieux de
le tester immdiatement, de lenrichir et de lappliquer, mais aussi des opinions qui ont dout sa capacit dapporter un plus de rigueur scientifique
lapproche et plusieurs valences pratiques lanalyse territoriale, en plaidant
pour la continuation des vrifications analytiques. Parmi ceux-ci on peut
remarquer les ides, lgitimes dailleurs, de B.T. Robson (1973, p.19-20), qui
soulignaient que si la nature du systme ne peut pas tre dfinie avec une
prcision suffisante, lapplication des caractristiques du systme devient
inadquate et pas significative ou au moins difficile dinterprter. Sil existe
une telle difficult de dfinir les villes et une autre plus grande didentifier la
nature des relations entre ces villes, alors lutilisation du concept de systme,
pour prendre en compte les rgularits empiriques, se voile de plus quun
vague parfum de mysticisme.
Dans son effort de dfinir les concepts et les fondements empiriques des systmes urbains, L. Bourne (1975) individualise les trois niveaux hirarchiques
de leur structure : un niveau national ou on distingue la/les mtropole(s)
nationale(s) et le rseau de centres mtropolitains; le niveau rgional constitu autour du centre rgional; le niveau urbain lequel sassocient les centres locaux.
Au dbut des annes 90, le systme urbain a t dfini comme un systme
complexe, avec des multiples interrelations et volution constante. Pour le
comprendre il est important de prendre en compte toutes ses dimensions
spatiales et temporelles. Lapproche peut envisager des modles fonds sur
des concepts appartenant lanalyse des systmes dynamiques: auto-organisation, ordre loin de lquilibre, avec des structures dissipatives, le rle
conjugu du dterminisme et du hasard dans lvolution des systmes, la
conjugaison des changements rguliers avec la possibilit des bifurcations,
en dbouchant sur des changements structurels (Sanders, 1992). Par rapport aux notions de rseau ou armature urbaine, le systme urbain qui
a russi les remplacer, ajoute aux proprits gomtriques et fonctionnelles
du rseau urbain les connotations dynamiques de la cohrence et de la synergie (Pumain, 1992).
En synthtisant, on peut dire que les systmes urbains sont des ensembles
constitus par sries de relations dinterdpendance entre plusieurs villes,
de sorte quune modification importante au niveau dune des villes composantes peut gnrer des modifications significatives sur les caractristiques
similaires des autres centres urbains.
En consquence, lutilisation du concept de systme urbain pour une
ville est incorrecte et gnratrice de confusions. Pour faire une distinction nette entre les deux concepts il est ncessaire de prciser que la ville et
galement le systme urbain peuvent tre analyss comme systmes, mais
quon ne peut pas associer la ville lattribut de systme urbain. Le concept
de systme urbain doit inclure obligatoirement la notion de rseau de villes, caractrises par une grande cohrence et un synergisme des flux.
EDITORIAL