Plot systems and property rights: morphological, juridical and economic aspects

Paper i proceeding, 2018

The importance of the plot (also referred to as ‘parcel’, ‘lot’ or ‘property’) as one of the fundamental elements of urban form is well recognized within the field of urban morphology. It has been described as a basic element in the pattern of land divisions that works as an organizational grid for urban form. A distinctive feature of the plot is its ambiguous character: it is at the same time a legal unit defining property rights, a spatially defined physical entity and an institutional tool designating land use in urban planning. In urban space, these dimensions act together to drive the evolution of built form. In this paper, we will investigate the entanglements of the morphological, juridical and economic definitions of the term. By resolving these we may better address and compare the vital layer of plot systems in different urban contexts and identify common fundamental aspects of the notion of plot systems and private properties. What we more specifically aim to capture with this comprehensive concept is the relation between urban form and legal and socio-economic space, where the plot can be identified as an element that creates a generic affordance for occupancy, in contrast to mobility, in cities of most kinds. The intended outcome of the paper is to contribute to unveiling the complex nature of the plot systems, bridging between spatial and non-spatial dimensions of cities, that is, more precisely, a potential to establish, not least, a stronger interface between the urban design and urban planning practices.