functional-segregation

The chapter critically examines Le Corbusier's high-modernist urban planning philosophy, highlighting his advocacy for monumental, geometrically ordered cities that replace historical urban complexity with standardized, functionally segregated zones. It emphasizes his belief in a single, rational Plan wielded by technocratic authority, which dismisses democratic processes and existing social realities in favor of machine-age efficiency and aesthetic purity. The chapter reveals the authoritarian and utopian dimensions of Le Corbusier's vision, illustrating the tension between top-down planning and the multifaceted nature of human urban life.

The chapter critically examines Le Corbusier's high-modernist vision of the city as a rational, hierarchical machine designed to optimize collective urban functions, exemplified by the planned city of Brasilia. It highlights how Brasilia, conceived as a utopian break from Brazil's historical urban traditions, embodies principles of functional segregation, state control, and the elimination of traditional public spaces, ultimately prioritizing abstract planning ideals over the lived social realities of its residents. The analysis underscores the tension between scientific urban planning and the complex, informal social life that such top-down designs tend to suppress.

The chapter critically examines the high-modernist urban planning exemplified by Brasilia and Chandigarh, highlighting the failure of their monumental, functionally segregated designs to foster vibrant urban life and social interaction. It discusses the emergence of unplanned settlements as a response to the planners' disregard for existing social dynamics, and presents Jane Jacobs's critique emphasizing the importance of mixed-use development and the lived experience of city streets over purely aesthetic, visual order.