How did the architecture of the White City influence the City Beautiful movement?

The architecture of the "White City"—the temporary site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago—served as the primary catalyst for the City Beautiful movement.

Led by Daniel H. Burnham, the fair’s design demonstrated a cohesive, monumental approach to urban planning that deeply influenced the American public and professional architects. The White City’s influence manifested in several key ways:12

• Classical Aesthetic: The fair’s grand Neoclassical buildings, designed by architects trained at the École des Beaux-Arts, provided a model of harmony and balance. This sparked a national interest in Classical architecture as a symbol of civic dignity and order.134
• Holistic Planning: Burnham’s integration of grand boulevards, public parks, and civic centres offered a solution to the congestion and disorder of rapidly growing industrial cities.1
• Civic Pride: The fair presented a "semi-utopia" that encouraged visitors to envision their own cities as orderly, beautiful, and inspiring spaces, directly linking urban design to civic virtue.14

This vision led to the implementation of similar comprehensive plans in cities like Washington, D.C. and the eventual Plan of Chicago.14