ABSTRACT
The new confidence in human reason turned it into the main foundation for the scientific age. But pure scientific discovery was not the only outcome; application of the new knowledge led to new tools and new ways of dealing with problems, closely related to the development of new technologies. The ability to know, i.e. theoretical reason, was only the first step. If it was not combined with the ability to make, i.e. productive reason, such knowledge would remain at a theoretical level. Soon, therefore, productive reason became an additional foundation for action. Technological ability had always been a key factor in building cities, and it had remained fairly stable through the ages. However, the technological advances of the industrial age gave city designers and builders new, considerably more powerful, productive capacities.
