planning history
The Most Influential Contemporary Urbanists
The 100 people making an impact on planning and cities today.
Most Influential Urbanists: Call for Nominees
Change doesn’t happen accidentally. Who are the people shaping cities and communities through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond?
L.A. County's Regional Planning Commission Celebrates 100 Years of Service
The first planning commissioners were appointed by the Board of Supervisors in 1923, making the Regional Planning Commission the oldest county planning commission in the United States.
Denver Suburb Points Spotlight at Racial Covenants
A symbolic, but necessary, action.
How California Planning has Changed—and How it Hasn't
In the newest edition of his classic book Guide to California Planning, Bill Fulton says there is still tension between the state's suburban planning system and its urban reality.
What Is the Garden City Movement?
Born as a reaction to the crowded, dirty conditions in turn-of-the-century London and other industrial cities, the Garden City movement offers an idealized planned community designed to join elements of town and country.
Planning Directors Commit to Change on Racial Inequities
Planning directors around the country have acknowledged the historic role of the planning profession in furthering the causes of racial discrimination and have publicly committed to change that history.
Who Is Robert Moses?
Known to some as the 'master builder' and to others as a villain in the history of New York City's development, Robert Moses was an influential and controversial city official who guided the construction of hundreds of projects in the mid-20th century.
Looking Beyond the 'Sidewalk Ballet:' Jane Jacobs in the 21st Century
While The Death and Life of Great American Cities remains an urban planning classic, today's planners must contend with challenges that Jacobs couldn't have anticipated.
Story Mapping the Racism in Planning History
A Story Map created by the Louisville Metro Office of Planning & Design Services offers a detailed, visual presentation of the history of racism and discriminatory in the planning and zoning of the Louisville and Jefferson County.
What Is Çatalhöyük?
Thought to be one of the first major urban centers in human civilization, Çatalhöyük was a Neolithic settlement that, at its height, reached a population of close to 10,000 at a time when most humans still lived in small hunter-gatherer bands of several hundred people.
History (Un)made: Berkeley City Council Votes to Eliminate Single-Family Zoning
The city that invented single-family zoning in 1916, for discriminatory purposes, will completely remove that exclusionary legacy from its zoning code.
Repositioning Black Urbanists in the History of Planning
The history of planning is dominated by a few iconic figures—all white.
When Discussing Racist Monuments, Don't Forget Urban Freeways
The racist history of planning in Los Angeles is particularly evident in the way Interstate freeways were planned in the region.
Watch: How Soviet Planners Created a Different Kind of City
The latest video from City Beautiful looks at the legacy of planning from the Soviet Union.
'The Art of Classic Planning' Critiques a 'Century of Bad Planning'
A book review of a book published this year with the title, "The Art of Classic Planning: Building Beautiful and Enduring Communities," offers stinging criticism of the past and present of planning.
Elevating Black Voices in the Planning Canon
The traditional narratives about the history of planning fail to note the role of Black urbanists, as well as the effect of planning policies on Black Americans.
Study Traces the History of Racism and Urban Heat Islands
The people living in urban heat islands are much more likely to be inhabited by low-income people of color, and the roots of the environmental justice issue can be found in planning history.
How Transportation Technology Determines the Footprint of Cities
The Marchetti Constant, the willingness of people to travel for about a half an hour to get to and from work, explains the size of cities in history, and the metropolitan areas of today.
An Infographic to Explain the History of Urban Planning
What do you think about the linked visual presentation of the history of urban planning?
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
