modernist model

The modernist model of urban planning, prominent in the mid-20th century, involved large-scale demolition and reconstruction directed by officials, often detached from public input. This approach, influenced by figures like Le Corbusier, aimed for a universal, functionalist urban environment. However, it faced strong criticism, notably from Jane Jacobs, who argued that it destroyed urban social fabric and imposed inhuman order. Critics favored diversity, high population density, and lively street life as keys to urban vitality. By the late 20th century, planning shifted towards rehabilitation, preservation, and mixed-use development, though modernist concepts still hold sway in some regions.123