Donald Donato

ABSTRACT

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union first proposed developing agrotowns in the 1930s, though the concept of the agrotown is an ancient one, prevalent in the Mediterranean basin for centuries. The term was given a new, precise meaning by Soviet leadership. A few examples of the agrotown model were implemented in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, and then again in the late 1940s and 1950s. Some of these model towns were quite successful and greatly improved productivity and the conditions of workers. There is revived interest in agrotowns as a part of ongoing work in agroecology and sustainable development. Soviet agrotowns were designed to combine food production with the industrial and cultural facilities of a city. Early examples provide evidence that if these large towns are correctly planned, they can play an important role in the implementation of agro-ecology and other sustainable development planning goals. This paper is a brief review of the history and a guide to resources. Further research on agrotowns in Soviet archives could positively contribute to current discussion among planners and agriculturalists.

KEYWORDS

Agrotowns; central planning; Communist Party of the Soviet Union; agrarian policy; Marxism

From: International Critical Thought 2018 8(3)

Editor: Wang Yi