Description
Lecture at the Online Seminar Peripheral Centralities - Lost and Past, hosted by the University of Melbourne.War and military practices have shaped and reshaped cities and suburbia for millennia. Concentrated settlements hidden behind high walls were an important pattern of defense at a time before airplanes and aerial war. Since the start of the 20th century, decentralized settlements and urban deconcentration have provided a better protection against military attacks. The Japanese military developed suburban settlements in the 1930s knowing the potential danger of wars fought in the dense Japanese cities mostly built out of wood. Modernist planners in post-war Germany proposed high-rise in greenery projects based on their experience with both firestorms created by bombs and rubble that blocked streets. In the US, the defense industry was an integral part of the national suburbanization process. During WWII, the Mutual Ownership Defense Housing Division promoted the construction of suburban housing projects for defense workers and their families. Post-war suburbanization was fueled by discharged veterans while German-based US military housing settlements formed a way to install American ideals to the Cold-War’s easternmost frontier. In Israel, American-style suburbs housing acting military officers formed a governmental tool to stimulate the development of peripheral towns and to facilitate territorial expansion. In conclusion, this paper reflects on modern warfare in the design of contemporary cities.
| Period | 24 Sept 2021 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Online Seminar Peripheral Centralities - Lost and Past |
| Event type | Seminar |