Rules for Compact Urbanism: Ibn al-Rami's 14th Century Treatise - Paperback

by Besim S. Hakim (Editor), Mohd Dani Muhamad (Translator), Ibn Al-Rami (Author)

This is a translation from the original Arabic of a treatise that dates back to the early fourteenth century, written by a builder and master-mason. It is the most comprehensive treatise on building rules within the Mediterranean region. What makes Ibn al-Rami's treatise significant is that: a) it was written by a master-mason, b) it draws upon texts that were available to him that date back to the eighth century C.E. from various regions of the Islamic world, specifically from the Arabian peninsula, Iraq, Egypt, Andalus (Islamic Spain), and Tunisia. It presents rules for building and address change and growth within built environments that were compact and typical of the majority of towns and cities located in regions surrounding the Mediterranean basin. Walls between proximate neighbours posed a challenge that was resolved by intricate rules, which were designed to ensure that the rights of all parties involved would be respected and protected. An underlying principle that was always observed was to ensure no harm or damage occurs to owners of properties during the on-going processes of change and growth. The rules also assumed and were designed to protect the freedom of property owners to exercise their full rights within their property. They were compatible with the nature of a dynamic process that relied on the timeline and sequence of built facts that had to be respected and which ensured subsequent decisions would be compatible. Feedback between proximate neighbours was a part of the system that promoted balance and equity. Our contemporary low density built environments that are manifested in the suburban landscape were questioned and criticized since a number of decades ago. Recent efforts to create compact neighbourhoods friendly to pedestrians can be inspired by the rules and solutions of historic compact towns and cities which are discussed and presented in this treatise.

Author Biography

His name is Mohammad bin Ibrahim al-Lakhmi, known as Ibn al-Rami al-Banna (the builder or master-mason), also known as Mohammad al-Banna. He grew up and lived in the city of Tunis, and mentions the city when citing a case that occurred there. He also mentions other locations where he was sent by a judge to investigate a problem. His rank in the local building industry was high as he was often asked by the local judge to investigate on-site issues and especially between proximate neighbors. No information was discovered about the date of his birth and death, however based on the citations that he makes to the various judges that he worked for and who were alive during his career, it is estimated that his active professional years were between 1302 and 1333 C.E., a period of 31 years. He died after 1333 C.E.