User:CristinaPortilloTorres

Cristina Portillo Torres lives in London and is amazed but its urban planning. Not similar to her hometown, where a grid defines streets and avenues, London has numerous names for “street”, alley, road, lane, place, walk, grove…. And many more. When in Shanghai you discover a new urban type, the lilong or hutong. These were clusters of houses constructed within a city block, as a mix between a row house and the traditional Chinese courtyard. When they were built they had the ability to provide communal connection and environmental protection to the residents. The public and social life took place in their narrow streets where neighbours could share daily life experiences. The buildings were normally two-three story terrace houses, small and narrow in width and built with stone. A common practice was designing a wall with a large gate leading into the dwellings.