The document discusses utopian thinking and its role in improving society and cities. It argues that utopian thinking has two parts: critique of current injustice, oppression, and problems, and a constructive vision for positive change. It also discusses several aspects of what makes a "good city", including: ensuring human flourishing and basic equality for all; valuing diversity and civil society; inclusive, democratic governance; and good governance principles like transparency, responsiveness, and nonviolent conflict resolution. The overall message is that utopian thinking, though imperfect, can help envision better social and urban futures and motivate action to address problems and injustices in society.

1. THE GOOD CITY
IN DEFENCE OF UTOPIAN THINKING
JOHN FRIEDMAN
1973

2. AN OPEN LETTER TO MANUEL CASTELLS
 Social action and political projects are essential in betterment of society.
 Providing empirical and theoretical elements in the pursuit of social
change.
DEAR MANNUEL
 Possibilities and merits of “value free” social science. Line between authorial self
and social actors. (Values & interest of author should not reflect in.)
 Rigor, accuracy, relevance.
 Janet A.L defines ideology as “deep sets of beliefs about how the world works”.

3. THE UTOPIAN IMPULSE
 The capacity to imagine a future that departs
significantly from what we know to be a general
condition at present.
 Breaking through the barriers of convention into a
sphere of imagination.
 Religion – Satisfies their thirst for meaning.
 Idea of bliss in consumer society without material
affluence leading to „free society‟.
 Sir Philip Sidney‟s comment on Thomas More‟s
Utopia, a persuasive means of „leading men to
virtue‟
 Utopian thinking has two moments : Critique
(injustice, oppression, ecological devastation,
enumeration of „evils‟) & constructive
vision(concrete visioning).

4. The Utopian Tradition in Planning
 Utopian writing over 200 years influenced planning profession.
 Susan Fainstein – Whether we can make the cities we want ?
 Prospects and Political Economy (material equality, cultural diversity, democratic participation, ecological
sustainability )
 Planning in the Public Domain – Advocating Transformative Planning based on
mobilization of disempowered groups in society.
 Radical Planning- Political action by organized groups within civic society
 „No group can be completely free until freedom has been achieved for every group.‟
 Civic Struggle

5. Imagining the Good City: Theoretical Considerations
 Whose City?
 Common Good
 Are we concerned only with the process or only with the outcome or should outcome and
process should be considered jointly?
 Normative framework in relation to the professional practice.
Whose City?
No more Common good – Propaganda or an act of self deception.
Pluralist see only group interests that strike temporary bargains in the political arena.
Marxists- common good used by hegemonic class.
Establish a new Metanarrative- social equity.
The city is ultimately „the people‟.
Ends & means – Inclusive Democratic Procedure & framework.
Intention & Practice
● Committed form of Political Practice which
involves a collective entity or group together & mobilized.
● Leadership.
● Must have material , symbolic and moral power.

6. The Good City: Human Flourishing as a
Fundamental Human Right
 “Every human being has the right, by nature, to the full development of their innate
intellectual, physical and spiritual potential in the context of wider communities.”
 Right to Human Flourishing as the most fundamental right.
 Slave Societies & women.
 Human being should have an equal start in life, over a life time, differences in inborn
abilities, family upbringing & class.
 Idea of basic equality – Mild socialism (Public education)
 Constrained- 1)Social relations. 2)Sociopolitical setting.

7. The Good City : Multipli/City as a
Primary Good
 Human flourishing serves as a template for judging .
 Multipli/City – An autonomous civil life relatively free from direct supervision
& controlled by state.
 Acknowledges the priority of civil society.
 But political economist disagree with this ordering.
 Describe city in terms of capital accumulation, external economies, Market
exchange, administrative control & urban population in terms of labor
market & social classes.
 Michael Walzer calls a civic society „a project of projects‟(people are connected
to one another & made responsible for one another)
 Migrants – Not always hospitable
 Requirement of solid material base
 Socially adequate housing
 Affordable healthcare
 Adequate work
 Adequate social provision

8. The Good City : Good Governance
 Process is as important as outcome.
 Importance of political process.
 Inclusive.
 3 sets of potential actors – Politicians & Bureaucrats ,State –Apex ,
Civil Society.
 Citizen Partnership- Invert the order of Utopia (Not Agora)
 ‘The republic of the Ward’- Neighborhood government.
 Transparency and right to information.
 Responsiveness
 Non- violent conflict management.

9. THANK YOU
 Sumit Kuliyal
 Ishita Aryan