Faux-Plazas
 

A century ago in 1925, architect and urban planner Le Corbusier unveiled his Plan Voisin, which attempted to flatten swathes of Paris and replace its dense, historic district with a regimented grid of cruciform skyscrapers set within vast open green spaces, prioritizing order, hygiene, and the efficiency of the modern age over the organic complexity of traditional city life. In theory, it sounded like a wise plan; by building skyscrapers, more people can be fit into less space, and more land can be used for greenery. His plan, however, was eventually rejected by the city.
 

Cities such as Brasília, Chandigarh, and numerous post-war housing developments across Europe and the U.S. which were heavily influenced by Le Corbusier’s vision share a common spatial condition: a profound sense of emptiness. This emptiness has not only created a lack of connection among residents but has also been known to increase crime rates. Despite their monumental scale, formal symmetry, and abundance of open space, these environments often feel devoid of life. Though presented as public space, neither does these places invite people in nor support meaningful interaction. I refer to these spaces as faux-plazas. These are spaces that mimic the language of public plazas but ultimately subvert their social function.

 

The issue with Le Corbusier’s urban vision lies in its failure to support human interaction by creating faux-plazas. In prioritizing visual order, separation of functions, and circulation, these cities create vast distances between buildings, dilute pedestrian experience, and leave open areas uninviting or ambiguously defined. The result is an urban environment where people feel isolated or unwelcome, where public space exists in theory, but not in practice.