Modern design.

 

The practice of town planning is much older than the modern profession. And its desired effects have grown. The aims of planning have varied – to create grandeur, to promote empire and to instil civic pride. This page traces the emergence of these ideals. It leads to pages about planning styles, movements and what planners do today.

Unplanned, organic cities

 

Humans have built towns and cities for thousands of years. A cluster of huts, a camp by a river, a citadel on a commanding height – numerous places like these have grown organically into permanent settlements. With streets and housing following the contours of the land, many of these organic cities were charming. Others were overcrowded and unsanitary, failing to provide enough sunlight or fresh air. Some made poor use of their sites or outgrew them.

 

Origins of town planning

Alongside organic communities, planned cities and towns have also existed from ancient times. Often, they followed a simple grid laid over the landscape, with houses placed side by side along straight streets. In the Renaissance (15th century), rulers of city-states aimed to achieve grand effects, with bold geometry and large public areas. In the Baroque era (17th century), this tendency grew and monumental architectural and landscape ensembles were designed and built. Examples include Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles (17th century) and Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington DC (18th century).