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That's sort of a simplification. Medieval European cities were absolutely "planned," but generally as defensive structures. The nature of feudal government is
by ajross 2y ago
That's sort of a simplification. Medieval European cities were absolutely "planned," but generally as defensive structures. The nature of feudal government is that it discourages investment in big centralized "cities" and builds a ton of little forts for individual aristocrats instead. So by the time the economics of Renaissance trade effectively forced the cities on the governments, the floorplans were already set and things didn't fit.
Tenochtitlan, in comparison, was purpose-built as the seat of an empire (and a recent one, in fact). The centralized authority was there from the start.
- noelwelsh 2y agoIndeed. European rulers did do a bit of planning when the chance arose. For example, Lisbon was rebuilt in a grid after the 1755 earthquake: > Keen to have a new and perfectly ordered city, the king commissioned the construction of big squares, rectilinear, large avenues and widened streets – the new mottos of Lisbon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake Paris as we currently know it is the work of Haussmann. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Pa...