Most cities grow slowly over centuries. These places were different. Governments and planners simply decided where a city should go, drew it on a map, and built it from scratch. Some became enormous successes while others still feel surprisingly artificial today. (Euronews, Geography Worlds)
1. Brasília, Brazil
Brazil wanted to move its capital away from the crowded coastline and encourage development in the country’s interior. In 1960, Brasília officially became the new capital despite not existing a few years earlier. Today, millions of people live there.
2. Canberra, Australia
Sydney and Melbourne couldn’t agree on which city should become Australia’s capital. The compromise was simple: build an entirely new capital roughly halfway between them. Canberra exists largely because nobody could win the argument.
3. Shenzhen, China
Just a few decades ago, Shenzhen was a relatively small fishing community. Government planners designated it as a special economic zone and growth exploded. Today it is one of the world’s largest technology hubs.
4. Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan decided it needed a capital that was easier to defend and better positioned geographically than Karachi. Islamabad was designed and built specifically for that purpose.
5. Milton Keynes, England
Britain created Milton Keynes in the 1960s to help absorb London’s growing population. It remains one of the world’s best-known modern planned cities.
6. Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa was chosen partly because it sat between English and French Canada and farther from the American border than other candidates. Geography and politics drew the line that created the capital Canadians know today.