With the concept of the 'dialogical city,' Paul Hofer and Bernhard Hoesli presented a complex spatial-visual perception in contrast to modern urban planning at the end of the 1970s. The aim was to overcome the aesthetic impoverishment of post-war modernism. At the same time, the 'dialogical city' served as an alternative to postmodernism. It was conceived 35 years ago at ETH Zurich but continues to be a lasting challenge for architectural education, politics, and urban development. Only cities that are livable in the long term can also be sustainable. This book reveals the intellectual history of the 'dialogical city' and the diverse foundations processed by Hofer and Hoesli, which extend back nearly a century. Thus, the book serves as the first intellectual biography of art and urban history scholar Paul Hofer (1909-1995) and architect Bernhard Hoesli.