Alternative possible urban futures

The twenty-first century will witness a considerable variety of urban forms in the West, in the socialist bloc and in developing countries. Multi-group, multi-valued societies should and will offer options in both societal and physical urban living. A spectrum of experimental urban types is developing all over the world and there is much to be learned from these types in their continuous refinement. The author surveys existing and emerging types: those which offer “more of the same” in a surprise-free future, the new towns or cities which provide innovative life styles, and the extreme and intriguing variants which may feed back into the more normal forms. At present the first type looks most likely to persist.