Abstract

The physical environments of capital cities play a critical role in shaping how citizens interact with governmental power, particularly during moments of political unrest, protest, and democratic conflict. As both symbolic representations of national identity and functional centers of government, these urban landscapes influence how citizens approach, occupy, and confront civic institutions through their planning, architectural form, circulation networks, and spatial organization. Government buildings, public plazas, monumental landscapes, and civic axes do more than provide settings for political activity; they actively shape patterns of movement, visibility, accessibility, and control. The design of these spaces influences not only how democratic institutions are perceived by the public but also how effectively governments can respond to demonstrations, maintain security, and preserve public access. Consequently, architecture and urban planning become essential components in understanding the physical relationship between citizens and the state during periods of both stability and crisis. This relationship can be examined through a comparative architectural framework that evaluates how design conditions influence access, symbolism, surveillance, movement, and the negotiation of power within civic space. This research compares the planned capital cities of Brasília, Brazil, and Washington, D.C., United States, through a comprehensive analysis of their urban planning strategies, civic building design, and key architectural characteristics during two major protest events: the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol and the January 8, 2023, attack on Brazil's National Congress. Although these events occurred within different political and cultural contexts, both involved large-scale attempts by citizens to physically occupy the symbolic centers of governmental authority, making them valuable case studies for examining the relationship between architecture and democratic conflict. Using historical research, spatial mapping, protest event documentation, photographic analysis, and architectural evaluation at the urban, district, and building scales, the study investigates how each capital's physical design influenced patterns of protest movement, government response, and institutional vulnerability. The analysis evaluates each case according to four architectural criteria: accessibility and proximity; scale and monumentality; visibility and symbolic clarity; and control, surveillance, and barriers. These criteria are assessed through a comparative rating system that identifies how each capital's planning and architectural decisions either support or constrain citizen access, symbolic engagement, and governmental control during periods of unrest. By examining the interaction between architecture and protest across multiple scales, the research demonstrates that civic space is not simply a passive backdrop for political events but an active participant in shaping democratic expression, institutional resilience, and the evolving relationship between citizens and governmental power. The study argues that the design of capital cities carries significant political consequences, influencing not only how democratic institutions are represented but also how democracy itself is experienced, challenged, and defended through the built environment.

Publication Date

8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Architecture (M.Arch.)

Department, Program, or Center

Architecture, Department of

College

Golisano Institute for Sustainability

Advisor

Alissa De Wit-Paul

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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