Re-envisioning modernity: transformations of postwar suburban landscapes

Abstract

While most historic cities show traces of modernist influences, the highest manifestation of modernist planning is found in North America’s postwar suburbs. As such, these environments have been highly criticized for their lack of identifiability and public space, characteristics that do not support contemporary human desires for variety and social interaction. In the immediate future, growing demands for housing and transit will create opportunities for urban transformation, and provide a platform for a contemporary critique of modernism and its evolution. This thesis postulates that postwar suburbs can be adapted to better meet the desires of 21st century residents, while maintaining privacy and access to nature. Through an analysis of potential nodes within existing suburban settlement patterns, and a critical engagement with the ongoing critique of modernism, an architecture which defines public space and creates recognizable images can be developed within the existing fabric of suburbia.