We are happy to reblog an article released on August 1925 by Popular Science.
The Wonder City You May Live to See
Buildings Half -Mile High and 4-Deck Streets May Solve Congestion Problems.
Note: You can find old popular science magazines on eBay.
The amazing pictures on these two pages were drawn from suggestions made by Harvey W. Corbett, president of the Architectural League of New York.
‘hey are a vivid, graphic expression of Mr. Corbett’s mental conception of the typical American city of the future—the place in which most of us will be living in a quarter of a century or so.
Unlike some other experts, Mr. Corbett does of be e that the future will bring the decentralization of our big cities. On the contrary, long study of modern trends in architecture, city planning, and business and social life has convinced him hat our cities will become more and more Crowed And, facing this contingency, we of this generation begin now to plan buildings and with an eye on the problem of handling people and traffic of the future.
The streetcar and elevated railway, Mr. Corbett says, will disappear. Streets will consist of four or more levels, respectively for pedestrians, slow motor traffic, fast motor traffic, and electric trains, the uppermost level being raised above the present street level. Buildings will be half a mile high or more, containing offices and commercial establishments on the lower floors, and dwellings and amusement places on the upper. These latter will be reached by spiral escalators and will be supplied with pure air piped from the country.
Though Mr. Corbett’s vision of the future city contains much imagination, it is in no sense fantastic. It is supplied by a practical man and a noted architect. His ideas are worthy of sober study. A picture of the present-day metropolis, with its skyscrapers and subways, would have seemed scarcely more remarkable 60 years ago than his conception of the future city seems today.
The Architect and His Vision Harvey W. Corbett, noted American architect, at work on one of his models depicting his conception of the f me city
Safe Highways—Elevated Parks Above is a conception of how highways from the city of the future will be arranged to prevent congestion. Notice how the cross high-way is elevated. with an ingenious system of curved ramps leading from one highway to the other. If you follow the arrows you will see how a car traveling in either direction on citherroad could pass readily to the intersect-Mg highway without danger of accident. Mr. Corbett foresees future city parks raised to the level of elevated streets. as shown at right. with convenient auto parking space beneath
You can see in the picture: LIVING QUARTERS AND PLAYGROUNDS, AIRCRAFT LANDIND, SCHOOLS, OFFICES, RESTAURANTS, FAST MOTOR TRAFFIC, GARAGES, ELECTRIC TRAINS, SPIRAL ESCALATORS
How You May Live and Travel and Future city streets of 1950
Future city streets. says Mr. Corbett. will be in four levels: The top level for pedestrians; the next lower level for slow motor traffic; the nest for fast motor traffic, and the lowest for electric trains.. Great blocks of terraced skyscrapers half a mile high will house offices. 1030011. home,. and playgrounds in successive levels. whilc the roofs will be aircraft landing•fields. according to the architect’s plan.