They have made problematic the idea of the City Beautiful, a powerful late 19th-century American contribution to the annals of urban design. On streets like Monument Avenue, it created an appealing spectacle of controlled rooflines and setbacks. And what do we make of the legacy of what was once known as “the White City,” the Chicago architectural spectacle that inspired the City Beautiful? One day earlier this summer, the de-monumentalizing of Monument Avenue continued under a blistering afternoon sun. Monument Avenue is just one example of how the City Beautiful movement established a canon of urban beauty across America.

Source: Washington Post July 29, 2020 12:00 UTC