Urban Design in the 20th Century: A History

Our time is an urban age. More people live in cities than ever before, cities are growing larger and denser than ever, and urbanity is reaching new levels of complexity. Since around the turn of the 20th century, as urban populations steadily increased, architects and planners have faced the challenges of designing new housing and public space. Yet they also needed to respond to emerging societal challenges, such as reconstruction after two world wars, decolonisation, economic and political crises, growing climatic concerns, and cultural shifts. Tom Avermaete and Janina Gosseye, associate professors of architecture at TU Delft, present a definitive history of urban design.