Landscaping the American Dream: Corporate Control and Disney’s Manufacturing of Suburbia

Celebration, Florida, serves as a compelling case study in the intersection of corporate influence, urban planning, and community development. Conceived and developed by The Walt Disney Company, the city of Celebration embodies the principles of New Urbanism, a movement that seeks to counteract the negative effects of suburban sprawl and car-dependent communities. New Urbanism is an urban design movement that advocates for the creation of walkable cities, sustainable living, and livable neighborhoods that foster a strong sense of community. Yet the town's development by Disney has seen it receive significant criticisms including Disney’s desire to ‘brand’ Celebration as a ‘Disney experience’ and an extension of the company's theme park ethos, as well as prioritising aesthetics over organic community development. In its early years, the Disney company controlled all aspects of the town including architectural guidelines, community events, and even the selection of businesses. The planned nature of Celebration has led to critiques of social engineering, where the community's social fabric is seen as being designed and controlled rather than naturally developed. While the town, and Disney, promised a utopian vision of community life, the practical challenges of governance, maintenance, and community dynamics let to disillusionment by residents and urban planners.