IngentaConnect Urban ideal images in post-war Rotterdam

Author: ROOIJENDIJK, CORDULA¹

Source: Planning Perspectives, Volume 20, Number 2, April 2005 , pp. 177-209(33)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Urban planning in many Western cities in the period 1945–1970 has been defined as modernist. Although this is generally true, it is an oversimplification. This paper presents a more complete picture by identifying urban ideal images in the public debate in Rotterdam in 1946 and comparing them with popular international ideas about the ideal city at the time. Several groups of participants are identified on the basis of their urban ideal images. Both within and between these groups there was great variation in the number and character of modernist elements used, derived from various international urban developers and as a result of the differences between their urban ideal images. It seems, however, that these images did not influence the final plans. Had the planning authorities been aware of these ideal images, they could have not only improved the quality of their urban planning, but also increased public support for their plans. In order to extend the knowledge about urban modernist post-war planning, this paper identifies different urban ideal images.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/02665430500031829

Affiliations: 1: Amsterdam institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Email: c.rooijendijk@uva.nl