Pandemic, Utopia and Project. Imagined Urban Futures from the Lockdown

Abstract

In addition to environmental degradation, unequal distribution of wealth, socio-natural disasters, and the crisis of democracy, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the perception of urban discontent. Historically, this perception has contributed to the generation of both apocalyptic and utopian visions, which have been associated with the built space in which they occur. This article reflects on the relationship between urban discontent and urban utopia, present-ing a critical examination of urban futures imagined by architecture students in two international workshops that took place in 2020, when all participants were in lockdown.