14 December 2008

Back to the Future.


1920 - This drawing is an example of auto-utopia. The urban design of this 'ideal city' is dubbed "Functionalism" or "Modernist." It applies science to city planning- that is, to make a city function as a machine, and cater to private automobile performance.

This type of urban planning breeds auto-dependency: extreme iscolation of buildings/land uses, absence of public transit, and large, desolate streets - free from congestion. This image was produced in a time when the city street was viewed as a public space that fostered the urban community and culture.

Pretty much the polar opposite of SF.

A real life example: Brasilla, Brazil.



Trancik, Roger (1986). Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design.
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/3416/bw05.jpg

2 comments:

Julian, the Desaparecido said...

Despite the tall buildings, it looks a little too much like suburbia to me.

Anonymous said...

You should check out Le Corbusier and his urban development plans. They are Cray-zay