Publication details
The organicists : planners, planning, and the environment in Czechoslovakia (1914–1949)
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Planning Perspectives |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2016.1261731 |
| Field | Art, architecture, cultural heritage |
| Keywords | Urban and regional planning; Czechoslovakia; first half of the twentieth century; organic modernity; organic planning; organicism; environmentally friendly; town and country planning history; Central European planning history |
| Description | This article takes a brief look at the history of modern Central European planning, especially spatial planning in Czechoslovakia. It is primarily focused on urban and regional planners, planning ideas, concepts, and projects that can be considered ‘organic’. Several important planners (all males) who kept pace with the most current European and US trends (e.g. Vladimír Zákrejs, Jindřich Kumpošt, Bohuslav Fuchs, Alois Mikuškovic, Ladislav Žák, Karel Honzík, and Emanuel Hruška) are discussed. The text also mentions some of the driving forces of the time, which had a fundamental impact on organic approaches in planning, including the institutionalization of urban and regional planning. Attention is also given to various international influences and the transfer of ideas that have not yet been adequately analysed. In conclusion, there are some reflections on the significance of organic modernity that succinctly express the atmosphere of that time as well as the efforts of the mentioned planners and thinkers. The main message is to show the close connection between early modern urban planning and the phenomenon of organicism, or rather, organic modernity. |