Modernist urban design has often been criticized for its rationalism and its associations with science and technology in contrast to faith, emotion and experience. But how have cities before and after modernism differed? What is reason, and what does a city of reason consist of? Designing the City of Reason investigates the meaning of reason and looks at how it has been applied in contemporary city design and urban development. Looking at the connections between abstract ideas and material realities, this book provides a social and historical account of ideas which have emerged out of the particular concerns and cultural contexts which inform the ways we live. By considering the changing foundations for belief and action, and their impact on urban form, it follows the history and development of city design in close conjunction with the growth of rationalist philosophy. Building on these foundations, it goes on to focus on the implications of this for urban development, exploring how public infrastructures of meaning are constructed and articulated through the dimensions of time, space, meaning, value and action. With its wide-ranging subject matter and distinctive blend of theory and practice, this book will serve to further the scope and range of urban design by asking new questions about the cities we live in and the values and symbols which we assign to them. Employing examples from across the globe, Designing the City of Reason will be a valuable contribution for both academics and practitioners working throughout the fields of architecture, planning and urban design. Book jacket.