Explore the history of the ideal Renaissance towns

The concept of the ‘ideal city’ is something we talk about often today, as we look ahead and reflect on the aspects of city life that we feel are most important for residents to thrive in a community. healthy. However, Ideal Cities were designed during the Italian Renaissance, as town planners and architects prioritized logic in their designs by focusing on human values, urban capabilities, and the recursive waves of cultural and artistic revolutions that influenced large-scale planning plans.

The Ideal Renaissance City was a symmetrical settlement centered around a plaza that contained civilian buildings and was considered the most important space from which the rest of the city would interact. The symbolism of planning was seen as a new way of seeing the world, dubbed “Imanesimo,” or a system focused on humanity and collective civilization. Such a town was even built, now known as the town of Pienza. Pienza is one of the cornerstones of what we consider to be modern town planning, as it was built in such a way as to best meet the needs of its inhabitants. It also took into account transport and social aspects, even going so far as to incorporate public seats across the city.

Unfortunately, the basic idea of ​​Renaissance cities is heavily based on theory, and cities were often designed to ignore any sort of geographic reference or constraint such as rivers, mountains, and valleys. Therefore, they were often drawn but rarely built. They were also designed based on social norms that were important at the time, ignoring any changes that might occur in the future. One designer who became known for his designs, but not for his ability to build, was Antonio di Pietro Averlino, also known as Filarete. In the 15th century, he developed the project for a theoretical city called Sforzinda. Although never built, it has become a famous example due to its octagonal star shape from medical cities. Its center represented the power of the monarch, and its high walls represented the strength and stability of cities difficult to overcome.

In the centuries that followed, other cities began to adopt their own version of the ideologies of Pienza and Sforzinda, eventually becoming more symmetrical in their general form, fortifying themselves with walls to define clear perimeters and delegating long axes. that would break various element programs and simplified streets and pedestrian paths. Even artists began to paint their imaginative depictions of these towns, displaying grand plazas and governor buildings flanking all sides.

While Pienza is one of the most symbolic and oldest examples of notable town planning, its influence has also infiltrated the way we design cities today. More recently, city planners discussed the implementation of the City in Fifteen Minutes, which aims to successfully integrate all the necessities of city life within a distance of fifteen minutes. Taking this further, some have proposed that in the future we could even experience a one-minute city. But at the heart of these radical ideas is the principle that the busiest activities occur in the center of town and amenities line the wide streets (which today make way for cars, buses, bicycles and commuters. pedestrians), and incorporate designs that encourage socialization, all similar to Pienza’s high-level thinking.