City Beautiful and ‘Architectural Urbanism’ (1893–1940)

Abstract

This chapter focusses on the first movements seeking to modernise major cities through large-scale architectural interventions as alternative solutions to the industrial era cities. It is in this context that the City Beautiful Movement emerged using the opportunity to present a renewed image of Chicago at the 1893 World’s Fair. The emergence of Civic Art in the USA and Public Art in England, Art Urbain in France and Belgium, or Stadtbaukunst in Germany and Austria, despite their notable differences, is encompassed in this context of shared reactions to the loss of urban quality in different countries. Parallel to those movements, after 1900 and through to 1914, there was a gradual emergence of what could be considered European urbanism, going beyond the formal, architectural dimensions. The numerous urban plans and projects, studies and publications that appeared at that time indicate a turning point concerning the work carried out over the previous century, such as the first world congress on town planning which was held in London in 1910.