Chapter 7 of 10All chapters
Chapter 7 of 10
Purpose-built capitals
Cities made to govern.
Why build one
To settle rivalry between existing cities, to move development inland, or to signal a new political era. Brasilia, Canberra, Abuja, Islamabad, Naypyidaw and Nusantara are all examples.
- Planned capitals often stay smaller than the cities they replaced.
- Cost and slow population growth are common criticisms.
Washington DC
An early example, placed on the Potomac by compromise between northern and southern states and deliberately outside any of them.