Urban Spaces

Term Paper # 100017

Environmental Studies > Urban Issues

Urban Spaces

This paper discusses Howard's garden cities in contrast to the modern conception of urban spaces.

1,735 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Ebenezer Howard's design concept for the ideal urban space and explains why by and large the world has not traded in its image of the city for Howard's idealistic vision. The paper shows how Howard's plan was built on his values and ideas about what a city should be instead of necessarily what it was or has been. The writer maintains that his/her definition of the city and of urban spaces relies more on the historical role and realistic nature of cities in human societies. The paper provides Toronto as an example of a city and its use of resources. The paper concludes that had Howard's garden cities been built en-masse, they would have faced assimilation, transformation or abandonment.

Outline:
Introduction: Howard's Garden City
Conjuring a Definition of the City
An Example of a City and Conclusions

From the Paper:

"Ebenezer Howard, 1850-1928, developed a significant--if somewhat naively utopian--model for urban planning based on his own specific conception of what constitutes an urban space. With limited formal education, Howard called for the creation of pre-planned cities that would be limited in size and surrounded by permanent belts of agricultural land that would be utilized to foster local independence from national and international markets for food (Reps par. 1). This conception of urban-ness was rooted specifically in sustainability and quality of life issues that Howard believed could be improved by synthesizing a closer relationship between traditional urban and country spaces."

Sample of Sources Used:

Fishman, Robert. "Howard and the Garden." Journal of the American Planning Association 64.2 (Spring 1998): 127-128.
Manning, Richard. Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization. New York: North Point Press, 2004.
Parsons, Kermit C. "Clarence Stein's Variations on the Garden City Theme by Ebenezer Howard." Journal of the American Planning Association 64.2 (Spring 1998): 129-130.
Reps, John W. "Garden Cities of To-Morrow." Cornell University. 22 October 2006 <http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/howard.htm>.
Wood, Andrew. "Ebenezer Howard's Garden Cities." Syracuse University School of Architecture. 22 October 2006 <http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/woods/149/149syllabus9howard.html>.