Using a philosophical and psychoanalytical approach, this book critically examines expert knowledge within architecture and urban planning. Its point of departure is the 'the gap' between visions and realities, intentions and outcomes in planning, with particular focus on projects in Sweden that try to create an 'urban atmosphere'. Finding insights from the work of Sigmund Freud and his followers, the book argues that urban planning during the 20th century is a neurotic activity prone to produce a type of alienation.