Ideal City
An important idea in Renaissance architecture. The belief that well-ordered and harmonious architecture could reflect the good-ordering and harmony of the cosmos, and the divinely ordained structure of human society. (Melvin, 2006) After the plague of 1484, architects and engineers were inspired to design cleaner cities with more sanitary facilities. Leonardo showed particular brilliance in this type of civil planning as well as architecture. His ideal city integrated a series of connected canals, which would be used for commercial purposes and as a sewage removal system. The city would feature lower and upper areas-the lower being for tradesman and travelers with the upper areas reserved for “gentlemen.” Leonardo’s design also included wide streets set at simple right angles for better wayfinding and military control, multi-story buildings for space efficiency, and canals allowing waste to flow into the sea and away from human contact. Photo from The Henry Ford Dearborn, Michigan, 2025.