IJUTMS 2014 - International journal of urban and territorial morphological studies (IJUTMS)

Hill-top towns are typical in most of Europe in an historical phase that starts from VIIIth cent. until XVth. cent. AD. Prior to the Xth cent. fortification of towns, called by historians "incastellamento", several settlements seem to reoccupy archaic sites, moving from the valleys to the hill-tops and modifying the social structure of former villages. Many of these settlements today need to be preserved but also to be developed, so the study of their formation process is useful also for the contemporary development.
Which models were adopted in the ancient design process, do some of the models derive from larger settlements ?
Is the small urban hill-top/hill-side settlement phenomena general through Europe ?
Are there similar phenomena elsewhere (e.g. Machu Picchu, native Northern American settlements, Japanese Castle towns, jokamachi, Viking and Saxon Emporia)?
Where, in Europe, and why does it start earlier/later ?
Which relationships can be found between climate, economy, land ownership, territorial morphology, social structure and city form?
How are such identified (new or old/adapted) social structures expressed in the urban and territorial structures?
What differences can be found in the form and structure of different types of small towns, villages, villes, hamlets, wicks, vici, castles etc. if compared to the local territorial morphology.