Metropolis: The New Civilization


Metropolis. Gillette’s City on a Hill. This idea of a single, living unit is common in utopian ideas. Gillette’s plan for Metropolis was to have a giant city on every continent, or if possible, just one in the world. Metropolis itself would serve as the great city were all the population lived. Out-lying communities would be for those who are in the labor force in that area and those vacationing. As for the grounds to build this mammoth city, Gillette chose a spot near Niagara Falls. The falls would serve as a massive power supply for the city and it would be easy to transport materials to and from the location where it was being built. By utilizing the falls as a power source, the city would save nearly 1,500,000,000 dollars in coal usage. Gillette states that it was estimated that 6,000,000 horse-power flowing over the falls. This power channeled through a series of pipes could channel as much as 10,000,000 horse-power. This energy solution is a very “green” solution for this time period when it seems that few people were environmentally minded. The idea of a mega city to house the population of a nation or, as Gillette proposed, the entire world would be a massive undertaking to say the least. I personally do not feel that it would be possible to accomplish such a task. Nonetheless, the idea of unity in such a large community is not neglected. Gillette’s views and ideas of unity and equality would be accomplished in the city by having building, each with apartments that are exactly the same in every way, but would be elaborately designed on “a scale of magnificence such as no civilization has ever known,” as Gillette stated. While most utopian communities seek to return to a simplistic way of life, Gillette sought to build a city fit for a king. While his utopian ideas are in sync with the majority of other utopian ideas, Gillette does not see a need to abandon the finer luxuries of life to live in harmony and equality.