OBE #2
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broadacre City focuses on the decentralization of the modern American city. In contrast to Jane Jacob’s “sidewalk ballet” model city, Wright places heavy focus on isolation among individuals, while still maintaining a sense of communication and contact with the use of modern transportation such as cars and trains, as well as telecommunication devices such as the telephone. Jacob’s would argue this creates a highly impersonal sense of community and connectivity, which is the basis for all interactions both primary and secondary.
Wright proposes that cities must become much lower in density in order to function properly. According to Wright, he suggests that every person be allotted a minimum of one square acre of land, with more being giving to larger families. By allocating land use in this way, Wright suggests that the family property is to become the basis for most day to day activities, interactions, and concerns. Again, Jacobs’ would find this model lacking the necessary means for fulfilling contact with individuals, in order to maintain the energy and livelihood of a city.
The layout of Wright’s residential district emphasizes the “architectural reintegration.” By encompassing all of the housing units within several square miles of each other, you force people to either become unified simply based on the proximity of closeness in which they live, or utilize the personal space allotted to you and become detached and isolated.
I find Wright’s overall perspective of a broadacre city to be non-practical to say the least. He talks about transportation and how every inhabitant will own his own car if not multiple ones, traveling on twelve lane multi-level, multi-purpose highways. Flying cars capable of speeds of 200+ mph that replace the airplane are also a focus of the broadacre mode of transportation. As impractical as these aspects may seem, the aesthetic value that Wright suggests with the use of tree-line streets, open air parks and zoos, minimizing the amount of raw materials used, and utilizing resources is a pleasing thought to consider in the broadacre city.
Comments
I like the comparison between Jacobs and Wright. I agree that Jacobs focuses more on the communication between people while Wright thinks that family space and interaction are more important. There is not much "sidewalk ballet" in Wright's Broadacre City, but to compensate, I think, he finds it important to ensure the natural environment and tries to build as close as possible to organic materials. How that benefits the urban environment will be interesting.
Posted by: Abha | March 7, 2007 11:49 AM