REVISITING THE SOCIALIST CITY

Author: Joshua Schultz | Publisher: Not Published |  Year: 2023

Revisiting the Socialist City Modern Capitalist Society delves into the transformative potential of integrating socialist avant-garde concepts into the urban planning paradigms of contemporary capitalist cities. Through a detailed examination of historical and current urban development strategies, the paper critiques the unchecked expansion and economic prioritization that characterize capitalist urbanization, proposing a reevaluation of socialist planning methodologies as a viable alternative. The study draws significantly on Tafuri's analysis of the Soviet urban experiment post-1917 Revolution and the innovative urban planning proposals of the NER Group outlined in their seminal work, "The Ideal Communist City." By juxtaposing the ideological underpinnings and practical outcomes of capitalist and socialist urban planning, the paper highlights the disparities in addressing the needs and well-being of urban populations. It scrutinizes the failure of capitalist cities to foster inclusive, equitable, and sustainable environments, attributing this to the dominance of economic imperatives over social and environmental considerations. In contrast, the exploration of socialist planning, particularly the efforts to create a "Socialist City" in early 20th-century Russia, reveals an ambition to harmonize architectural and urban forms with societal needs and aspirations.