Journal of East China Normal University (Philosoph ›› 2019, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (5): 160-167.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5579.2019.05.017

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Urban “Unthinking” in the 20th Century and Its Implications

HU Da-ping   

  • Online:2019-09-15 Published:2019-09-24

Abstract: Urban philosophy in the 20th century is generally characterized by "unthinking", by which Immanel Wallerstein means opening new perspectives by questioning the given premises and by debating. There are three phases for urban unthinking:the critique of industrial cities made by E.Howard, P.Geddes et al., which promoted the development of urban planning in the early 20th century; the challenges to the existing planning science and orthodox theories proposed by J.Jacobs, H.Lefebvre et al., which promoted the forming of subversive perspective of urban politics during 1960s-70s; the deconstruction of popular ideas on modern cities, geography and space by radicalism under the influence of the revolution in May, 1968, which resulted in the spread of anti-essentialist, heterogeneous and pluralist urban discourses after 1970s. Urban unthinking that regards alternative lifestyles as its aim elaborates that planning is the way to build humane cities. However, it also emphasizes that the intricate order of its aim cannot be built merely by planning. It reveals that urban world is a horizon to attract creative practice for good life.

Key words: urban philosophy, urban intellectual history, urban planning