Chasing the ‘Ghost’ of Entopia: Doxiadis, Ekistics, and Placemaking in Cities

Constantinos A. Doxiadis was a leading architectural and urban theorist during the 20th century. At the dawn of the Information Age, he renewed the call for a science of human settlements, which he termed ekistics. Current debate inevitably revolves around his legacy in the field. The present article briefly reviews Doxiadis’ thinking about settlements and science. Focusing on the state of ekistics thinking today, our analysis is based on the case study of Metropolitan Athens and the Attica Region in Greece using space syntax. WE explore the inherent potentials and pitfalls of Doxiadis’ conception of ecumenopolis - a type of world city –, arguing that it remains too abstract and impractical of an idea for today’s world. Nonetheless, Doxiadis’ intellectual legacy is profound. We conclude that architects, urban designers, and town planners should continue to develop Doxiadis’ ideas about dynapolis (dynamic city) and entopia (in place) when addressing placemaking in cities for people today and tomorrow.