The Best Failed Utopias

Utopian developments often fail. This post from The Awl ranks the best and most desirable of the failed utopias throughout history.

1 minute read

July 10, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

The utopias listed include Brook Farm, the Garden of Eden and Jonestown.

"The scary thing about Jonestown is how noble its intentions were from the quick; its inhabitants, at the beginning, saw themselves building a community free of racism, buoyed by faith. If you look at archival footage of the construction of Jonestown, it's men and women of all ages and races, working together, singing in the sun. The whole sordid thing happened-and fell apart-because it was founded on earnest hope, and nobody wanted to let go of that. Easier just to lie down on the jungle floor and pretend like that was the plan to begin with. When it comes down to it, a lot more of us would drink the Kool-Aid than we're comfortable admitting."

FULL STORY: Which Failed Utopia Was Best?

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 in The Awl

Land Use Social / Demographics World Utopias Utopianism

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

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.