Magnitogorsk is a factory city in Russia. It has often been considered one of the most polluted cities in the world, with health problems rife. But there were some who dreamed of a different Magnitogorsk. 

In the late 1920s and 1930s a number of Western architects were employed by the Soviet Union to realise what a socialist city could be. At a time of great change in Russia, they were tasked with building the future. One of these first experiments was Magnitogorsk. 

To learn more, I talked to Alec Luhn, a formidable climate journalist that went to Magnitogorsk in 2016 for a Guardian story. Alec has reported for The Atlantic, The Guardian, National Geographic, Scientific American, TIME, and VICE News.

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