The postwar period saw greater change in the appearance, structure and skyline of cities than any comparable period in modern history. During the late 1950s and the 1960s, municipal councils routinely devised and implemented radical schemes to reshape and modernise their towns and cities. This book, following on from the author's widely acclaimed The Experience of Modernism, traces the involvement of modern architects in this process. Making extensive use of primary documentation and in-depth interviews with architects of the time, The Practice of Modernism examines the intricate relationship between vision and subsequent practice in the saga of postwar urban transformation. The first part of the book traces the personal, institutional and professional backgrounds of the architects involved in schemes for reconstruction and replanning. It then goes on to deal directly with the progress of urban transformation, focusing on the contribution that modern architects and architectural principles made to town centre renewal and social housing. Finally, the book highlights how the exuberance of the 1960s gave way to the profound reappraisal that emerged by the early 1970s. At a time when popular understanding of mid-twentieth century urban transformation remains clouded by generalisation and blanket condemnation, The Practice of Modernism provides an incisive and timely view of the true complexity of the processes and agencies that brought about change.

It will interest urban and architectural historians, urban geographers, planners and all concerned with understanding the recent history of the contemporary city.