Walt Disney and the Quest for Community

Richard Peiser, Michael D. Spear Professor of Real Estate Development, Harvard Design School, Massachusetts, USA
"...solid academic historical research and a "great read" about one of the most fascinating people of our century."


Edward J. Blakely, Dean, Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, New School University, New York, USA
"Mannheim does a remarkable job in detailing the Disney's revolutionary urban planning contributions that shape most of the modern world."


Gerald Gast, Associate Professor, Portland Urban Architecture Program, The University of Oregon
"The book is the first to reveal Walt Disney's deep personal concern for the urban "crisis" of the time..."


Book Description
During the final months of his life, Walt Disney was consumed with the world-wide problems of cities. His development concept at the time of his death on December 15th, 1966 would be his team’s conceptual response to the ills of the inner cities and the sprawl of the megalopolis: the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" or, as it became known, EPCOT. This beautifully written, instantly engrossing volume focuses on the original concept of EPCOT, which was conceived by Disney as an experimental community of about 20,000 people on the Disney World property in central Florida. With its radial plan, 50-acre town center enclosed by a dome, themed international shopping area, greenbelt, high-density apartments, satellite communities, monorail and underground roads, the original EPCOT plan is reminiscent of post-war Stockholm and the British New Towns, as well as today's transit-oriented development theory. Unfortunately, Disney himself did not live long enough to witness the realization of his "model city." However, EPCOT's evolution into projects such as the EPCOT Center and the town of Celebration displays a remarkable commitment by the Disney organization to the original EPCOT philosophy, one which continues to have relevance in the fields of planning and development.


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Towards the end of his life, Walt Disney conceived of a utopian project called the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) that was to become, in adulterated form, a section of the Disney theme park in Florida. Mannheim (California State U.) focuses on the original plans in his largely uncritical exhumation of the physical planning, architectural conceptions, technology, economics, and operations and management of the utopian project. A final chapter explores the influence of the original plans on the Epcot Center and the Disney company town Celebration, Florida. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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