Theorists of the Origin of the City

V. Gordon Childe: Urban Revolution 

'The Urban Revolution' by V. Gordon Childe (Town Planning Review, 1950) is one of the most heavily cited papers ever published by an archaeologist. Childe was the first to synthesise archaeological data with respect to the concept of urbanism, and the first to recognise the radical social transformation that came with the earliest cities and states. Although Childe's treatment of urban planning was brief, his ideas were seminal in understanding ancient urban planning.

Lewis Mumford: City in History

In his influential book The City in History, Lewis Mumford explores the development of urban civilizations. He argues that the structure of modern cities is partially responsible for many social problems seen in western society and that urban planning should emphasize an organic relationship between people and their living spaces.

Mumford uses the example of the medieval city as the basis for the ideal city, and claims that the modern city is too close to the Roman city (the sprawling megalopolis) which ended in collapse; if the modern city carries on in the same vein, Mumford argues, then it will meet the same fate as the Roman city.