Urbs Ir Civitas: Lewiso Mumfordo Urbanistika
Urbs and Civitas: Urbanism of Lewis Mumford

Summary/Abstract: The processes of urban growth became the alfa and omega of large cities in post-communist Lithuania, However, a discourse critically interpreting and analyzing these processes is still forming in Lithuanian intellectual and academic circles. The article discusses the concepts of Lewis Mumford, one of the most important urban philosophers and critics of the last century. My article discusses the following topics in Mumford: his concept of the city’s historical growth and expansion, his interpretation of city culture as expression of civilizing processes, his analysis of the cycles of city’s rise and decline, the prospects of limits of grown and renewal of the megalopolis; the impact of technological processes and the consumer mentality on city culture; his understanding of anti-city as urban entity that is incapable of performing its functions. I claim that reflection on and critical analysis of Mumford’s concepts and critique of the city might be a usable and effective instrument in establishing a discourse on the development of contemporary Lithuanian cities.

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