Urban fiction

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Dissatisfied with the world, we have longed for two opposing visions: the peaceful garden, a carefree paradise, and the New City, a harmonious community. Thomas More described this New City as Utopia, a no-place or fortunate place located on an island. Long before More, philosophers, saints, artists, and travelers envisioned the ideal city, and since then, many architects, writers, and reformers have sought to create Utopia, depicting both fortunate and flawed cities. Examples include Palmanova, Freudenstadt, Guise, Brasilia, and Lingang, which, despite their aspirations, have proven imperfect and reflective of their times. Günther Feuerstein explores these fictional cities, walking alongside architects, planners, and thinkers like More and Antonio Filarete. His journey through 350 cities, illustrated with over 500 images and featuring 800 additional dream cities, forms a lexicon of the ideal city, though it does not claim completeness. Feuerstein, a former professor and a key figure in the Viennese post-war architectural scene, has influenced many avant-garde groups. His work intersects art history, sociology, and architecture, advocating for an 'expanded architecture' while critiquing functionalism.