Urbanity and Density in 20th-Century Urban Design

In the writing of urban design history of the 20th century functionalist and avant-garde models of the dissolution of the city are dominating. In contrast this book presents projects whose goal is the ideal of a dense and urbane city. Drawing on plans, built examples and theories of dense and urbane cities and city districts in the 20th century, modern examples of urban design are analyzed and highlighted which until now have been evaluated more as fringe phenomena. These include examples characterized by functional mixture, social openness, spatially defined public spaces, urban architecture, historical reference and a cultural understanding of the city. The books new evaluation of modern urban design history creates opportunities for current planning by offering best-practice models which better reflect the striving for urbanity and density.

Wolfgang Sonne is Professor for History and Theory of Architecture within the Faculty for Architecture and Civil Engineering at the Technical University in Dortmund and Deputy Director of the Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst. His research interests cover the fields of architecture, urban design and conservation from the 19th to the 21st centuries.