Molson Hart

Geneva as it looked in 1850 is a near perfect example of traditional European urbanism, before cars, chain stores, suburbs. Sharply defined: the city gives way to the countryside just across the street, respecting the integrity of both rural and urban ways of life.pic.twitter.com/llDbdNhCdz

The entire city has only four routes into it, passing through defensive works and official gates, lending it both dignity and a certain urban gravitas. The city as a form has not yet given way to the utility gird, nor has it become a mere node in a global traffic network.pic.twitter.com/5AOjvGsW3F

The digital model, the work of over 100 people in a 5 year project compares well to contemporary photos and paintings of the city. It must have been a wonderful city to live in.pic.twitter.com/xBIPK6KWvL

There is a wide variety of business, homes, neighborhoods, buildings, representing all eras of the city. By conforming to natural limitations in terms of building techniques and materials the city achieves the harmony that no book of codes in any modern city could ever enforce.pic.twitter.com/gH62cf7FZ2

The skyline (here in an impossible high view but the point remains) is dominated by the buildings that define the civic aspirations of the community: faith (churches), order (courts), beauty (trees are encouraged to grow above the roofline whenever possible).pic.twitter.com/3v4I6j6VvL

To say that we can not build like this again is a lie. In the case of Geneva, as in many town and cities around the world, we even have the blue prints for almost all major buildings. Some cities even have complete records from the 18th century onwards. From prisons to hospitals.pic.twitter.com/bHLeNkfxQA

Geneva in the 1850s was perfectly human scaled. You could walk from East gate to West gate in about 30 minutes. There was no need for costly transit systems, carriages or horses. Nor was there any need to sacrifice urban space for parks: nature was never more than 15 mins. away!pic.twitter.com/iaJKDRBDnI