Abstract

The paper is about three main rhetorical figures of the contemporary city - sustainability, participation and technology - placed in a broader historical context, ranging from early modernity to present days. Rhetoric becomes relevant, in urban history, in the very moment that the idea of a better city, departed from the status quo, comes into play. Political, economic and cultural reasons work on the background and shape the rhetorical discourse according to the needs and demands at hand. By addressing public attention toward goals and ideals of 'the good life', the three figures analyzed in this paper respond to different political programs and are thus critically questioned, both as 'weapons' of domination and means of social emancipation.