Contradiction and Consensus in American Urbanism

New Urbanism can be thought of as a movement that attempts to reconcile principles of diversity, connectivity, equity, and human scale – i.e., principles of “good” urbanism – that have been evolving in America for over a century. Another way to frame the definition of “good urbanism” is by way of contrast with modernist urbanism. To present that perspective, a case must be made that modernist urbanism is distinct from all other forms of 20 th century urbanism, something that Jane Jacobs, for one, was unwilling to do. This paper discusses the broader, dual conceptions of urbanism and looks at how they played out during the 20 th century. My intent is not to rehash a history that is already well known, but to highlight the elements in this evolution that have contributed to a more explicit and enlightened definition of what good urbanism at the beginning of the 21 st century is supposed to be.