Urban Planning Development and Theories

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Urban Planning Theories Used in The United States
How Can A Biblical Perspective Be Applied to Urban Planning?
Conclusion
References

Introduction

North America developed as a frontier, so its cities were also forced to emerge in difficult and suboptimal conditions and undergo quantitative and qualitative restructuring under rapid industrial growth. This led to the fact that American urban planners solved problems dictated by different living conditions and circumstances in each separate period. For example, during the period of city creation in the 17th century in Europe, urban planning, the creation of architectural ensembles and public spaces, and the design of local facilities have long been actively used (Reps, 2001). Noticeably, America came to such concepts only at the end of the 18th century, when it was the right time and context for new ideas (Rice, 2014). This transition solved some severe problems of survival and adaptation.

Urban Planning Theories Used in The United States

The Garden City Theory

Various urban planning theories have been used in US history, ranging from the romantic to the pragmatic or politicized. One of the most romantic architectural movements was the garden city movement, imported to the US by Clarence S. Stein and Henry Wright, among others (Georgia Planning Association, 2018b; Kashef & El-Shafie, 2020). The theory was developed by Ebenezer Howard under the influence of British urban construction, which is why one may say that England influenced the selected style, highlighting the need to unite the concepts of town and country (Georgia Planning Association, 2018a). Noticeably, Germany is the state that significantly influenced the style (Harris, 2012). Thanks to the country, the theory became more focused on social movements like women’s rights.

In America, garden cities flourished in New York, Virginia, and Florida, and Walt Disney’s concept of the prototype city of tomorrow draws on this theory. The current appeared in response to industrialization and sought to bring the best aspects of village life back to the city while maintaining mobility, social opportunities, and conveniences (Spiegel, 2021). Therefore, one of Howard’s key suggestions was to start from the circle’s center when creating cities and have a special area for citizens to open all public facilities (Spiegel, 2021). Modern urban planning was impacted by the garden city concept, precisely with the idea of mandatory use of green spaces, increasing the number of public spaces for recreation, and expanding the living space of an ordinary person.

Systems Theory

The problems of industrialization and the terrible state of cities have forced politicians and city planners to think about the effectiveness of urban planning in terms of a systematic approach. Traditional planning approaches did not consider the social and economic aspects of city life, so there were constant problems with urban infrastructure, zoning, uneven load, etc. (Shi et al., 2021). Systems theory, as one of the modernist modes of planning, was based on a scientific approach, calculation, and perception of the city as a system of interconnected elements (Shi et al., 2021). The purpose of such planning was to ensure the city’s functioning as a life support system for the urban community.

Systems planning was founded by a British biologist, sociologist, and urban planner Patrick Geddes, who believed that city building should be flexible, evolving with the needs of the inhabitants. This requires collecting information about the life of urban areas and applying “conservative surgery” (Eisenman & Murray, 2017). It is an approach to modernizing the urban environment that does not completely disrupt the existing space but adapts it to the community’s needs (Eisenman & Murray, 2017). For example, it expands narrow passages and courtyards, restores and preserves the best objects, and creates comfortable spaces for living. It is less expensive and more efficient, based on real local needs. As for the impact of other countries on the theory in question, while certain effects are not clearly explored, each state introduced something new to the style.

How Can A Biblical Perspective Be Applied to Urban Planning?

In the United States, the biblical perspective has significantly influenced and continues to influence urban planning. Religion can be considered in urban planning as one of the lenses that allow the development of spiritual values in the city’s ecosystem, not just functional ones (Allam, 2020). Some general principles of urban planning can be found even in the Bible. The Book of Numbers details the urban planning of the Levitical cities to meet the needs of the entire population: “Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals” (New International Version, 2011b, Numbers 35:3). The critical element is the planning of the original ensemble and the prohibition against changing it “because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites” (New International Version, 2011a, Leviticus 25:33). Thus, the Bible teaches to include nature in urban planning instead of destroying it and balance the needs of different segments of the population when designing.

Conclusion

Urban planning in the United States has undergone many development, change, and modernization periods. American architects were inspired and borrowed from European trends and theories, primarily actively relying on the British experience in creating and re-planning cities. This is because Europe faced new historical and social processes for a long time before the United States, which had larger spaces and developed more slowly (Joch, 2014). The European experience indicated which methodologies work and how to apply them. However, American planners had to face their unique challenges and apply the full range of traditional and modern methods to solve them.

References

Allam, Z. (2020). Theology, spirituality, and urban objectivity. In Theology and urban sustainability (pp. 69-79). Springer, Cham.

Eisenman, T. S., & Murray, T. (2017). An integral lens on Patrick Geddes. Landscape and Urban Planning, 166, 43-54. Web.

Georgia Planning Association. (2018a). Individuals who influenced planning before 1978 [PDF document]. Web.

Georgia Planning Association. (2018b). National planning pioneers, 1986-2015 [PDF document]. Web.

Harris, T. M. (2012). The German garden city movement: Architecture, politics and urban transformation, 1902-1931 (Doctoral Thesis, Columbia University, New York, NY). Web.

Joch, A. (2014). ‘Must our cities remain ugly?’ – America’s urban crisis and the European city: Transatlantic perspectives on urban development, 1945–1970. Planning Perspectives, 29(2), 165–187. Web.

Kashef, M., & El-Shafie, M. (2020). Multifaceted perspective on North American urban development. Frontiers of Architectural research, 9(2), 467-483. Web.

New International Version. (2011a). Bible Hub. Web.

New International Version. (2011b). Bible Hub. Web.

Reps, J. (2001). Towns, time and tradition: The legacy of planning in frontier America. In J. Stein (Ed.). Classic Readings in Urban Planning. 1^st Edition (pp. 7-10). New York: Routledge.

Rice, K. T., Waldner, L. S., & Smith, R. M. (2014). Why new cities form: An examination into municipal incorporation in the United States 1950–2010. Journal of Planning Literature, 29(2), 140-154. Web.

Shi, Y., Zhai, G., Xu, L., Zhou, S., Lu, Y., Liu, H., & Huang, W. (2021). Assessment methods of urban system resilience: From the perspective of complex adaptive system theory. Cities, 112, 103141. Web.

Spiegel, S. (2021). Urban utopias. In Utopias in Nonfiction Film (pp. 203-248). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Click Here To Order Now!