Thinking Of The Ancient City Of Lewis Mumford

Lewis Mumford is one of the most famous city of theorists. His theory of the city made a great impact to philosophers, historians, architects, urban planners, and is still applicable today.Mumford asserted that the city is the container of culture, and the life of the container is more important than itself. The original function of the city is cultural accumulation and innovation, also communicating culture and educating people. To reveal the city culture played what important role in urban development and planning, this article will introduce and study the Mumford's theory of ancient city. And further explain the importance of the Mumford's theory to urban development and planning.This article has a total of three chapters. The first chapter is"Mumford's world of the city". It will introduce the personal life of Mumford and his conception of the city,so to make the reader have a initial impression to Mumford and his academic achievement. The second chapter is"the Mumford's theory of ancient city". This chapter will introduce his three theories. Firstly, introducing the formation and development of his urban ecological theory by describing the Neolithic village. Secondly, introducing the function of the magnet and container in the city's growing process. And then, introducing the urban drama theory. These three theories have a very close relationship with urban culture. His city's ecological theory is the foundation of the lately organic planning and the regional concept. The last two mainly discuss the city's function. The third chapter is"the reflection of the Mumford's theory of ancient city". This chapter is mainly about the theoretical significance and practical significance of his theory.The city experiences one to grow out of nothing and from simple to complex, from lower to higher history. This process reflected the development of the human society and human self. The later city all expressed the magnet and the container function, for this is the most fundamental of human needs. The city is the theater of social activities, it emphasize the city's social functions. The culture of human civilization nourishes generation by generation of people. But, for the acceleration of urbanization, our city faces many questions today, for example, the city's eco-environmental degradation, the traffic congestion, the over-density of population, the housing shortages, the resource depletion…all this wait for us to do our best. Thus,urban plan must pay attention to two problems: urban ecological balance and environmental survival.So, the container functions of the city should provide us not only the space but also the good nourishing environment to meet the people's social and spiritual needs. And so, in urban planning, we should pay more attention to these articles, such as promoting the ecological civilization, developing the urban culture, building the human settlements. As a distinguished urban planning master, his theory of ancient city and also his theory of modern city make a great effect in the Europe and even the world. I believe that his theory will play an important part in guiding the China's urbanization.