Research Article
Concept for the Development of Urban Planning Structures in Small Towns of Armenia
Arsen Arustamyan*
,
Tatevik Nersesyan
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2025
Pages:
91-97
Received:
3 June 2025
Accepted:
11 July 2025
Published:
23 July 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.urp.20251003.11
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Abstract: This article examines the problems of urban planning in Armenia's small towns. Interest in the urban planning challenges of small towns grew significantly during the 1960s and 1970s, primarily driven by the rapid increase in the number of large cities. This was also the period when the specific features and criteria of small towns were defined, allowing experts to distinguish them from towns of other categories, as well as identify the unique problems of small towns and develop recommendations for improving their planning structures. A very common typology of towns is based on their economic function: industrial, transport-industrial, industrial-agricultural, resort and health-related, and others. The national-economic specialization of the town lays the material foundation for its formation and development. It is worth supporting the proponents of the concept that any typology should be based on a set of interconnected criteria and diverse indicators that reflect the various aspects of the development of a town as a socio-economic system. This approach makes it possible to encompass all aspects of urban life and is more effective, since it allows the assessment of the town, regardless of its specific economic functions. More specifically, it enables one to evaluate the diversity in labor activities performed in the town, assess how well the town supports a varied range of social roles, whether it provides favorable opportunities for the development of diverse forms of employment, their content and conditions, and evaluate the quality and availability of cultural and public amenities. Within the scope of this article, we are particularly interested in the specific features of the formation of urban planning structures in the small towns of Armenia. The distinctive features of a town’s planning structure are revealed through its role and significance within the settlement system, as well as through natural and climatic factors and the peculiarities of the local terrain. It is proposed to use the commonly accepted classification of these structures into compact, linear, and linear-branching types. Moreover, the detailed analysis of the master plans of selected towns has shown that the compact planning structures differ in their development level, which allowed us to classify the master plans of the towns with discrete development into a separate category. The analysis produced a set of recommendations to enhance the planning structures of the under consideration towns.
Abstract: This article examines the problems of urban planning in Armenia's small towns. Interest in the urban planning challenges of small towns grew significantly during the 1960s and 1970s, primarily driven by the rapid increase in the number of large cities. This was also the period when the specific features and criteria of small towns were defined, all...
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