THE LINEAR CITY: A MODEL OF A

SUSTAINABLE CITY?

The linear city was a

proposal made by Arturio
Soria at the end of the
19th century, to turn
Madrid into a more
human city , a city which
was closer to nature.
 Arturo Sorias aim was to solve some of
the problems that Madrid had at that time:
transport, overpopulation and sanitary
conditions.
There were two different theories to solve the problems caused by the
industrial revolution:
 Naturistic theories. The houses would have a garden
and an orchard.
Hygienist theories:Their objective was to improve the sanitary
conditions of the city.
Proposals:
- to buid wider streets
- to build detached or semidetached houses.
The most important objective was to combine nature and city.
THE PROJECT

The final project was a

linear city surrounded by
nature, and with a
central area for services.
The new houses
The new houses were
New houses bigger and had a
for working
people garden. There was
also a vegetable
garden or a space for
working the land.

Old houses
Houses in the linear city
A middle- class house

The bathroom The living room

Indoor gardens the Hall
TYPES OF HOUSES
Prototipos de casas de la ciudad lineal

Arturo Soria let the architects free to build different models of

houses in order to avoid monotony.
Compaa Madrilea de Urbanizacin was the company in charge of the
project
 SERVICES
The new city had a tram .
It also had space for vegetable gardens and for groceries
for leisure and for cultural and sport activities.

Sport facilities
Casino

A theatre A school
 THE PROJECT FAILS
After the death of Arturo Soria, C.M.U. went through a
period of economical crisis. Due to this, the original idea
was changed.
 THE LINEAR CITY TODAY

The demographic boom of Madrid, the rise of prices and

the proximity of the linear city to the city centre put an
end to the project.

The linear city ,built in thr northesat of Madrid

 ARTURO SORIA
Arturo Soria y Mata (Madrid,
1844 -1920 ) He was an
architect and an engineer ,
especially well- kwnon by his
idea of building a linear city.

He introduced the first tram in

Madrid and also a suburban
train

From 1886, he devoted his life to

this project.
Statue of Arturo Soria placed in Arturo Soria
Street. There is also an underground station
called The linear city: Ciudad Lineal.