Abstract
This thesis intends to study how some American cities have faced growth and detrimentally relocated their civic identity, the courthouse, to outside the city. All too often cities are making choices, due to tremendous growth, to abandon the historic center and hastily disperse the community beyond its periphery. In order to embrace tradition and maintain a sense of place, cities must find ways to maintain their historic center, keeping important civic functions at the core and clearly defining the city edge. As a case study for this thesis, an alternative design for a new courthouse building and new town square in Monroe, Georgia will be proposed. Special attention will be given to the study of classical architecture and traditional urbanism to prove the significance of maintaining healthy, timeless cities with a civic identity and sense of place.
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