utopian urbanism

Utopian Urbanism A Critical Evaluation

“Our business here is to be Utopian, to make vivid and credible, if we can, first this facet and then that, of an imaginary whole and happy world.”

H.G. WELLS, A Modern Utopia

But how far are we from Utopia?? Or a Utopic state??

EVOLUTION OF CIVILIZATION

UTOPIA

UTOPIA

TIME

UTOPIA

UTOPIA

The Biblical Garden of Eden: Perhaps the first “Utopic” city…!!

….And God said “Let there be Light …..!!!!

“Man is a social animal” Always striving to create “communities”

Utopia: Early Theories

The Republic (Greek: Πολιτεία, Politeia) is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC concerning the definition of justice and the order and character of the just city-state and the just man.

Utopia: Conception of the term, and Thomas Moore’s Utopia

The Early Utopia: Beginning

NEW HARMONY, Posey County, Indiana • New Harmony is a historic town in

posey county, indiana, 15 miles (24 km) north of mount vernon, on the wabash river.

• the country-side population was 916. • the community covers an area of

30,000 acres (121 km²) causes of failure • lack of individual sovereignty • absence of private properties and

privacy • difference of opinion, tastes and

purposes of individuals • increase in demands of people

J.S. Buckingham

IN 1849 published a treatise entitled “national evils and practical remedies”in which he described his plan for a model town for an “associated temperance community of about 10,000 inhabitants .

• most utopian proposals were not executed .

• focused attention upon the

growing evils of the urban environment .

Bess Brook: Model Town AGRICUTURAL FIELDS

INDUSTRIES

HOUSING FOR

WORKER WITH

GARDENS IN FRONT

Port Sunlight • In 1886, lever brother, famous soap manufacturer, built port sunlight near liverpool • Large blocks were used as interior gardens and play areas • Total site area was 550 acres • A future- runner of future planning

Port Sunlight

URBAN DESIGN

OBJECTIVES PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1 CHARACTER A distinct sense of place responding to the

local context

2 CONTINUITY &

ENCLOSURE

Continuity of frontages, defined public &

private spaces

3 QUALITY OF PUBLIC

REALM

safe,attractive,lively and functional public

space

4 EASE OF MOVEMENT An accessible, well connected, pedestrian

friendly

5 LEGILIBILITY A readily understandable, easily navigable

environment

6 ADAPTABILITY flexible & adaptable public & private

environment

7 DIVERSITY A varied environment offering a range of

experiences

Findhorn

Findhorn Innovative use of building materials such as local stone and straw bales

A Barrel House

Spiritual Social

Economical

A Constantly evolving model. A non-profit organization. The Findhorn Foundation Ecovillage Project has received Best Practice designation from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).

CHARACTER

A distinct sense of place responding to the local

context

CONTINUITY & ENCLOSURE

Continuity of frontages,defined public

& private spaces

QUALITY OF PUBLIC REALM

safe,attractive,lively and functional public space

Findhorn

EASE OF MOVEMENT

An accessible,well connected,pedestrian

friendly

LEGILIBILITY

A readily understandable,easily navigable environment

ADAPTABILITY

flexible & adaptable public & private

environments

DIVERSITY

A varied environment offering a range of

experiences

Findhorn

Arcology and Arcosanti : Paulo Soleri ARCHITECTURE + ECOLOGY = ARCOLOGY

Arcology : “A set of architectural design principles aimed toward the design of enormous habitats (hyperstructures) of extremely high human population density.”

Largely Hypothetical Contains all basic Architectural facilities. MINIMIZE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Economically self-sufficient.

Arcosanti

CHARACTER A distinct sense of place

responding to the local context

CONTINUITY & ENCLOSURE

Continuity of frontages,defined public & private spaces

QUALITY OF PUBLIC REALM

safe,attractive,lively and functional public space

Arcosanti is an experimental town that began construction in 1970 in central Arizona

EASE OF MOVEMENT

An accessible,well connected,pedestrian

friendly

LEGILIBILITY

A readily understandable,easily navigable environment

ADAPTABILITY

flexible & adaptable public & private

environments

DIVERSITY

A varied environment offering a range of

experiences

Arcosanti

Arcosanti Today:

Mesa city: Paulo Soleri (hypothetical) “Project Mesa: quest for an environment in harmony with man.” Mapped out on an imaginary landmass roughly the size of Manhattan, with a population of 2 million. Mesa City is centered around two nodes of peak density and activity: the theological complex in the north, and the higher learning center in the south.

These nodes are connected by highways, underground bus tunnels, and the Axial Parks. Thirty-four villages will be grouped around civic buildings and shopping centers in clusters of five. “By roofing over the center of Manhattan with sky-lights and suspended gardens topping and spanning between the highest skyscrapers, one would approach the scale of things involved . .

Damanhur : Community,Spirituality, Research & Action share all resources and live on site full time

School of Meditation

Social

The Game of life

Tecnarcato (Individual Inner

refinement)

CLASS -A

contribute to financial goals and live on site a minimum of 3 days a week.

CLASS -B

Live anywhere, Class C citizens participate fully in The School of Meditation.

CLASS –C & D

In a tragic period of Earth history, in which more and more peoples and races are disappearing, impoverishing the culture and diversity of all humanity, Damanhur is creating a new human group with its own artistic, philosophical and cultural expressions.

Damanhur : A spiritual approach to Utopia

Damanhur : The Temples of Humankind

Once In the Temple you take Journeys into all the Halls for experiential learning and healing.

Damanhur is an eco-society and UN award-winning sustainable community.

Freedom and reawakening

Self-sustaining model of life

Good Communal

Living & Love

Harmonic Integration

A federation of separate communities, with their own constitution, schools, flag, calendar, and daily newspaper,also their own currency known as “Credito”

A sustaiinable eco-society

A laboratory for the future

Masdar City,Abu Dhabi-The Future is Coming? Masdar City believes “Only use energy when you’ve exhausted design.” Solar energy and other renewable energy sources, with a sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology. Automobiles will be banned.

Fatehpur Sikri : Deserted Mughal Utopia, Perhaps an attempt to achieve Utopia

Fatehpur Sikri : Why it failed despite of the grandeur? The reason for the sudden decline of the city is usually given as the failure of the water supply, however the real reason may have been the emperor's loss of interest in the place.

Auroville Foundation of Auroville on 28th February 1968: People from 124 countries dropped a handful of earth in an urn, as a testimony of Human Unity

Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.S

1968:A land devastated by cutting of trees

For years: Healing Mother Earth

Auroville: The Galaxy

Auroville : The Activities

CHARACTER A distinct sense of place

responding to the local context

CONTINUITY & ENCLOSURE

Continuity of frontages,defined public & private spaces

QUALITY OF PUBLIC REALM

safe,attractive,lively and functional public space

EASE OF MOVEMENT

An accessible,well connected,pedestrian

friendly

LEGILIBILITY

A readily understandable,easily navigable environment

ADAPTABILITY

flexible & adaptable public & private

environments

DIVERSITY

A varied environment offering a range of

experiences

UTOPIA

PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY

SELF-SUFFICIENT

FUTURE VISION

RENEWABLE SOURCES HARMONIC INTEGRATION

References: The Urban Pattern BY –A.B.GULLIAN Ancient & Medieval Town Planning in India- Bedge P.V. Auroville Universal Township : Master Plan Perspective 2025 Fatehpur Sikri: A Utopian Approach to Urban Planning And Design.: Rajinder S. Jutla, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Planning Department of Geography, Geology and Planning Southwest Missouri State University Internet source : Wikipedia and various Websites

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