The Absence of the Past as Future for the City: Reconstruction as Situated Modern Urbanism in Post-War Milano, Rotterdam, and Warsaw
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Date
2024-05
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Following the Second World War, numerous European cities grappled with
the challenging task of reconstruction. Despite the transformative impact of
these reconstruction projects on the urban landscape of Europe, the
historiography of urbanism tends to acknowledge them only minorly, often
reducing them to the mere creation of new housing developments or city
centres.
However, the reconstruction plans for European cities went beyond surface level planning of neighbourhoods or central city areas. They were intricately
connected to specific instances of urbicide and involved elaborate
negotiations with pre-existing social, legal, economic, technical and
morphological conditions, as well as with prevailing agencies.
Focusing on the cities of Milan, Rotterdam and Warsaw, this article argues
that, due to their charged relationship with the existing fabric, urban
reconstruction projects appear as alternative approaches to post-war
urbanism. They emerge as exemplars of a ‘situated modern urbanism’ distinct
from their counterparts, as they establish a modern urbanistic approach
grounded in a highly nuanced understanding of the dimensions of time and
agency.
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Publication status
published
Editor
Book title
Heritage Cities and Destruction
Journal / series
Volume
1 (2)
Pages / Article No.
54 - 69
Publisher
Publi Paolini
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Edition / version
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Software
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Organisational unit
09643 - Avermaete, Tom / Avermaete, Tom
02655 - Netzwerk Stadt u. Landschaft ARCH u BAUG / Network City and Landscape ARCH and BAUG