It can't be ideal if it doesn't accommodate real people

There is always a grave risk when abstract, conceptual utopianism dabbles in real human affairs but it is hard not to be intrigued by the concept of an ideal city.

An ideal city is the concept of a plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective.

The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, spiritual and juridical qualities of citizenship as well as the ways in which these are realised through urban structures including buildings, street layout, etc. The ground plans of ideal cities are often based on grids (in imitation of Roman town planning) or other geometrical patterns. The ideal city is often an attempt to deploy Utopian ideals at the local level of urban configuration and living space and amenity rather than at the culture- or civilisation-wide level of the classical Utopias such as St Thomas More's Utopia.

I am all for patterns and geometric ratios but the human spirit is far messier than that and is, ultimately, the most important ingredient.

I do like the clean lines and openness of this visualization of The Ideal City by Fra Carnevale, c. 1480–1484.  

Click to enlarge.

Beautiful as that is, the practicalities of transportation and commerce and socializing almost leap out at you.  Not to mention the expense.  A wonderful rich person's environment but where does everyone else live.