The city of La Plata – its development against the background of European ideas of ideal cities of the nineteenth century
The city of La Plata – its development against the background of European ideas of ideal cities of the nineteenth century

Author(s): Agnieszka Dudzińska-Jarmolińska
Subject(s): Environmental Geography, Human Ecology, Environmental interactions
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: La Plata; utopian cities; spatial chaos; garden cities
Summary/Abstract: La Plata, being a satellite city of Buenos Aires, was designed from the ground up in a geometric layout which still exists today. It also has a spatial arrangement typical of many other Latin American cities, developed under the influence of European utopian projects implemented at that time. In the structure of La Plata, we can find many parallels to the European cities developing in the nineteenth century, such as Paris, Vienna or Barcelona – which proves that it was supposed to be a modern city with an international character. Over time, it turned out that the ideally designed urban layout did not translate into harmonious development of the city, which is reflected in its image today. Currently, La Plata is struggling not only with urban chaos, but also poorly functioning communication or flooding from the La Plata River and pollution produced by the refineries operating nearby.

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