When housing becomes a social project
What if, to understand a city, we had to start by looking at how people live there? In Stains, a garden city conceived at the start of the 20th century tells the story of an era when architects and town planners were already dreaming of a different model for the city.
Here, there are no vast housing estates stretching as far as the eye can see. The houses are arranged around gardens, tree-lined streets and spaces designed to encourage social interaction. Homes are being built, of course, but so too is a way of life: places to meet up, facilities for residents and spaces where children can play.
With your guide, trace the origins of a particular vision of social housing and discover the choices that shaped this neighbourhood. Why these houses? What was life like here back then? And above all, what does this garden city still tell us today about the way we think about the city?
More than just a remarkable neighbourhood, the Stains garden city is a life-size demonstration of a very simple idea: a successful city is one designed with its residents in mind.








