Urban morphology and archaeological continuity in Chichester: Traces values and ichnographic imprint

In recent decades, speculative urban development has often disrupted the socio-economic balance of cities and diminished the complexity of their built environments, resulting in repetitive and poor-quality urban spaces. Chichester, a cathedral city in West Sussex, offers a compelling counterpoint to this trend, its historical layers provide a rich context for exploring the morphological value of urban traces in renewal processes. Founded as the Roman settlement Noviomagus Reginorum, Chichester’s orthogonal grid and defensive structures remain embedded in its contemporary fabric, shaping spatial configurations and civic identity. This paper examines the city’s layered form, Roman, medieval, and modern, through morphological analysis of primary elements such as the Roman walls, axial streets converging at the Market Cross, and the cathedral precinct. These components illustrate how historical traces continue to inform urban composition and public space design. Recent interventions, including pedestrianisation and heritage-led regeneration, are discussed as expressions of urban archaeology in practice. The study also presents a pedagogical initiative within the BA3 Design Module, where a cohort of 20 students is developing holistic proposals for Chichester’s future development.
Their work engages with the city’s preserved archaeological layers to define strategies that integrate historical knowledge into contemporary design. Chichester’s compact scale and enduring ichnographic imprint make it an ideal case for reflecting on spatial continuity, urban renewal, and the role of urban archaeology in shaping resilient and meaningful environments.