Explain what Burnham means he says that the “embellishment” of the city would improve the social issues of the community, such as the physical and moral health, versus reforming tenement issues where the root of one’s values and virtues are usually seen essentially in the home-base for development.

This week’s material talks about significant flaws of  the 1909 Plan of Chicago.
For a better understanding let’s slightly rewind in time. The main idea of what we call today “urban planning” began in the United States from the City Beautiful movement. It was basically a philosophy of architecture and urban planning which existed between the 1890’s and the 1920’s. It believed that the embellishment of cities would improve social issues and consequently peoples’ quality of life. Burnham essentially took an aesthetic approach to urban planning that, according to Garb, heightened the aesthetic experience (parks, playgrounds, interactive installation art as seen in Chicago today, etc) of a city versus the urban population growth and efficient housing development and design to supplement.
Instead he focused on “forging a new relationship between the city and the citizen” (Garb, 101). He believed that the most efficient way to Americanize the thousands of immigrants from different countries and cultures was to create civic centers, urban parks, common areas and boulevards where people would get educated and new dwellers would learn the “values and virtues of American life”. One should note the harsh reality that he was very adamant in the disbelief that immigrant mothers had the ability to raise their children in the slums, probably resulting from their “hereditary and habitual behaviors”. He saw it as the city’s duty to step in to “Americanize” immigrants and that the slums were created “only because of the failure of the city to protect itself against gross evils and known perils…”.
The movement gained strength in 1893 with the world’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Burnham commanded the construction of the fair’s temporary city after known as the White City. It really was the “dream city” because while building it they had the opportunity to touch many aspects of general construction: architecture, landscape architecture, transportation, design, sanitation, and the arts. They planted the seeds of what would be the first comprehensive city plan in our country. Even though poverty, crime and racial issues were hidden from the 26 million visitors, thanks to the world fair the White City project became the muse for Burnham’s 1909 Plan for the creation of the modern American city.
The plan’s main intention was to rebuild the industrial city mainly based on models of Baron Haussmann’s Paris. Burnham neglects the tremendous need for “slums” and tenement reform in his plan focusing in favor of improving and beautifying public spaces as a way to “Americanize” immigrant families with the “virtues and values” of the nation. This sort of social reform is also due to the “divorce” of professional planners (usually male) and housing reformers (usually female like Adams from previous reading). Burnham focused on new technologies of transportation, production/consumerism, and communication. Burnham believed the modern city was the consumer city, never forgetting that beauty and commerce were connected.

Both Burnham and Bellamy who are contemporaries, were visionaries and had similar desires for the future of their countries. As optimists they envisioned harmonious relationships between citizens, beautiful and useful public spaces, all towards a “perfect” American society, socially and economically.
ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
1) Explain what Burnham means he says that the “embellishment” of the city would improve the social issues of the community, such as the physical and moral health, versus reforming tenement issues where the root of one’s values and virtues are usually seen essentially in the home-base for development.  How has Los Angeles implemented this aesthetic approach to form this kind of nourishment of value/virtue relationship between the city and its immigrant and native citizens? Think about physical/mental/moral influence with all or specific demographic. How do you think the definition of “American ideals” has changed or stayed the same?

2) What is your major? Describe or sketch an innovative and creative way in which Woodbury can form this relationship between the school and its students/faculty authentically USING THE TOOLS FROM YOUR MAJOR. Some of you may want to think about marketing, design plan or mapping, financial dividends and fundraising, installations, tenement reforms, etc. Your ideas could be implemented to make a real, integral community shift here at Woodbury!