The Role of a Good City Thinking: Utopia, Dystopia and Heterotopia

The world that the narrator imagines is uniquely utopian because it is not static. It is constantly trying to improve itself. Before discussion of how Utopia constantly improves itself, it is interesting to note that this statement implies that this Utopia is not perfect. This is acknowledged near the beginning of the book when the two men meet a traveler who questions the establishment and would rather there be buildings. He says; "[Buildings are] a mere rash. Why should we men play the part of bacteria upon the face of our Mother?"(116). Still this he is not separate from civilization, as he makes, "some considerable way above the minimum wage" (117). This man’s protest of the establishment is the first hint that this new world does not claim to be perfect. In fact, later in the novel, the Voice admits that "There is no perfection, there is no enduring treasure"

The term utopia is often coined as an ideal or perfect society. In Sir Thomas More “Utopia” such a society is presented. However, today’s reader can see that this ideal or perfect society is filled with many underlying problems that make it not utopic or even dystopic. To exemplify the society More’s mention puts a strain on the freedom and relationship the citizens have with its country in to question. Such an act is detrimental in creating a utopia because if the citizens are not happy with the freedom and rights they are given how can the society itself be presented as a utopia, it is instead like a prison.

“Ideas shape the course of history”- John Maynard Keynes, Economist. History has a way of always changing things. We get these ideas of how to the make the world better, how to make a country better, how a make a city better. All of these ideas of what would make the perfect place to be in. We all envision a perfect place for us to live in. We envision what the government would look like, how the government would look like. But it is not just the government we envision our own perfect way. Economic structures, religious beliefs, social customs, and legal systems, we envision these things to be perfect, according to our own wants and desires. In Sir Thomas More’s Utopia that is exactly is happening. Utopia is defined as an imagined place or

Well known in cities at the time were the City Beautiful movement and the city practical, however, social issues were merely pushed to the side. Wirka (1996) explains that “both are undoubtedly important movements in the history of planning” (p. 57), however, she goes on

A person’s perception of Utopia varies depending on their life experiences and what they hope to expect of the society in which they live. It's an ideal place where equality, serenity, protection, and freedom are essential qualities.

Cities are generators of economic life and source of changes in the world. Thereby, Jane Jacobs in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities puts into relief the role of cities on the social and economic levels, while denouncing the disastrous consequences of urban renewal programs. To that extent, in chapters 2 and 3, she discusses "The Uses of Sidewalks”, arguing that over all people need safety and trust in their city. Therefore, first she claims the necessity of keeping streets and sidewalks safe because they are the “vital organs” of cities (29). Secondly, she argues that the functioning of cities should be organized in order to foster human interaction in which “casual public

Utopia- good place, or in other words, no place. Thomas More, in his work Utopia, describes a nation in a parallel universe free from greed, pride, immorality, poverty, and crime; told as a narrative of a well-traveled explorer Hythloday to Moore himself, Hythloday speaks of a nation founded purely upon rationality, efficiency, and perfect morality. Thomas More’s work is no political or social theory, but rather a social critique and a commentary. In an age experiencing political and social struggle across every aspect of Western civilization along with the flooding of ancient and new ideas, Utopia is More’s way of discovering and exploring man’s and society’s natural structures and tendencies, and expressing his discontent towards them- this is shown in the narrative, as the dialogue of Hythloday and More represent his conflicted view between the ideal and the pragmatic. Acknowledging these flaws, More’s work critiques the utopian society from the perspectives of an imperfect man, but also vice versa.

however, differ considerably. The goal of Utopia is to illustrate the maintenance of an “ideal”

This concept of communal property is successful because it decreases the possibility for a social hierarchy based on material items. Also, the lack of seclusion is conducive to forming close friendships, thus strengthening communal bonds. Not having privacy could lead to a feeling of paranoia that one’s actions are always being monitored, however in a “utopian community”, individuals should be acting benevolently, with virtuous intentions. The layout and construction of Utopia has been successful with respect to traffic flow, shared property and motivation to act properly.

belongs in the city that the ideal can be achieved. What this means to politics in the

description of the construction of a good city. The good city is a relation to

A sustainable city is when harmony is reached between the environment, economy and society. Environmentally, sustainable cities are ecologically friendly by using alternative sources of energy such as solar or wind power. Economically, governments should share a similar decision-making process with institutions and with the public by having a common belief in what should be done by improving sustainability. Sorensen, Marcotullio, and Grant (2004), find that a good decision making process consists of planning and control at the municipal and national political levels which would allow local level functions to become reinforced. Socially, sustainable cities are classless, meaning that there are no social divisions which serve as limits; leading to a more equal society. One of the many ideas would be using mixed housing to remove the class divisions between people. Also, city streets would be walkable, with businesses and services located at close proximity to promote a healthier lifestyle and serve as an alternative to using cars for transportation. The writers differ in their analysis when examining the approaches to improving sustainability in cities. This section will analyze four important ideas on how cities can become more sustainable.

The process of people moving into cities, which is called urbanisation, was happening around the world in past decades. It causes cities to have more labourers and resources than before. This makes a big contribution to the social development of cities. Thanks to these social developments, public services are becoming better in these areas. Citizens can enjoy a better life by access these public services such as better medical care, more education resources and well-built transport. It means an equitable society can be created. An equitable society means citizens can have more opportunities to access social resources and to live a better life. This essay will argue that

The modern reality of the cities is defined by complex urban, social and environmental problems. The era of intense urbanisation is associated with the phenomenon of the unregulated urban sprawl, globalisation and consumerism. Especially for the metropolis, for both, the developed and developing countries, there is overconcentration of the population in confined spaces, which leads to insufficient-available infrastructures of common utility, accommodation and transportation. This has become a fact that is causing problems with the living conditions, and enhances the negative environmental effects. Due to those problems, humanity tried to create a theoretical concept of the ‘ideal’ and an

Kevin lynch’s book ‘Good city form’ gives us the answer of the question that what are the factors and aspects which makes good city and how to achieve it as cities are too complicated objects, they are far beyond the control, and they also affect the too many people with too many cultural variations. The book provides knowledge of various urban theories through comprehensive discussions.