Walt Disney On Planning

The 'unofficial Disney park guide' explains the evolution of Walt Disney's plans for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT).

1 minute read

March 25, 2004, 9:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Walt spent almost all of his time working on the EPCOT idea. He read books about urban planning. He toured research laboratories and think tanks at many major corporations. He wanted to come up with new designs that would allow the city to function more efficiently than other cities, and yet still allow the residents to have a warmer, more close-knit community." At a press conference in 1965 Walt Disney is quoted: "I would like to be part of building a model community, a City of Tomorrow, you might say, because I don't believe in going out to this extreme blue-sky stuff that some architects do. I believe that people still want to live like human beings. There's a lot of things that could be done. I'm not against the automobile, but I just feel that the automobile has moved into communities too much. I feel that you can design so that the automobile is there, but still put people back as pedestrians again, you see. I'd love to work on a project like that." An earlier part of this series discusses Walt Disney's purchase land in Florida to begin planning the development of The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) Center: http://www.mouseplanet.com/mark/mg040225.htm

Thanks to Chris Steins

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 in Mouse Planet

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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