History of Planning Flashcards
April 12, 1901 - NY Tenement House Law
The New York State Tenement House Act of 1901, or “New Tenement Law,” was a housing reform law aimed at improving living conditions in New York’s tenement buildings. Technically a tenement was any building that housed three or more families, but the term had come to mean housing for poor families that lacked proper amenities. The law set requirements for new buildings to improve light and air quality for residents, including external-facing windows in each room, an open courtyard, improved ventilation, indoor toilets, and better fire safety.
June, 1902 - Early City Planning Commission
Cleveland’s chapter of the Architectural Institute of America and the city’s Chamber of Commerce presented a bill to form a “Board of City Planning for Ohio Cities.” Ohio Gov. George Nash fulfilled the bill by appointing Daniel Burnham, John Carrere, and Arnold Brunner as the Group Plan Commission for Cleveland. Although not technically a city planning commission, this group essentially acted like one, with the power to give advice about many broad planning improvements in the city.
January 15, 1902 - McMillan Plan
The Senate Park Commission wrote the McMillan Plan, a landmark comprehensive planning document, to revive and update the L’Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C. The McMillan Plan focused on the city’s parks and monuments. It redesigned the National Mall and determined the locations of the Lincoln Memorial, Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, Union Station, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Building, among other changes. The McMillan Plan is still the basis of most of Washington, D.C.’s planning, and helped boost the career of Daniel Burnham, who worked on the plan. It could be considered the first real expression in the United States of the City Beautiful movement, which emphasized grandeur and beautification in planning.
Sept, 1903 - Construction of Letchworth
Construction commenced on Letchworth, England, the first Garden City, based on the principles of Ebenezer Howard. The Garden City Movement focused on creating self-contained communities with residences, industry, and agriculture, surrounded by undeveloped green areas. These planned communities inspired the similar New Town movement in the United States.
October 22, 1903 - Public Lands Commission
President Theodore Roosevelt appointed the second Public Lands Commission to study public land policy and laws for open range and federal lands. The commission was fronted by Gifford Pinchot, head of the Bureau of Forestry and a founder of the modern conservation movement. The group made several recommendations for the use of public lands for grazing and timber purposes, many of which were controversial with livestock, lumber, and mining interests.
June 8th, 1906 - Antiquities Act
President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law to preserve archeological sites on public lands. The act also authorized the president to protect landmarks, structures, and objects of historic or scientific interest by designating them as national monuments. It was a landmark in the preservation of historic places and structures, as well as cultural resources. Devils Tower in Wyoming was the first monument to be protected under the act.
1907 - NY Congestion Committee
Florence Kelley and Mary Simkhovitch, two veterans of New York’s settlement house movement, founded the Committee on Congestion of Population in New York to look at solutions for overcrowding in poor parts of the city. The organization hired Benjamin Marsh as its first executive secretary. The reform coalition recruited from more than two dozen organizations and had a broad focus, but its first project was the New York Congestion Exhibit of 1908.
March 26th, 1907 - First Official City Planning Commission
Hartford, Connecticut, became the first city in the United States with an official and permanent City Planning Commission. Prior to this, planning commissions were generally disbanded once a plan had been developed. A planning commission makes recommendations about the planning and zoning of a city or town to the local council.
March 9th, 1908 - NY Congestion Exhibit
The New York Congestion Exhibit began at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. The event was organized by social reformers, including Florence Kelley, Lillian Wald, Mary Simkhovitch, and Gaylord White, who believed that urban congestion was the primary cause of problems with housing, child labor, and poverty. After three weeks at the museum, the exhibit toured around the country, gradually pushing city administrators to launch commissions to look into congestion.
Oct. 1, 1908 - Ford Launches Model T
Ford began production of the Model T. Assembly line production for the car kept its price relatively low ($850 in 1908, but down to less than $300 in 1925). Its affordability opened up car ownership to a much wider range of Americans and spurred the country’s car culture. In turn, planners had to find a way to fit more cars on roads and in communities.
June 4th, 1909 - Burnham’s Plan of Chicago
The Plan of Chicago, written by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett, was the first comprehensive metropolitan plan in the United States. Based on three years of research into how city growth and infrastructure impacted its residents, the plan concentrated on physical improvements, such as new parks, lakefront upgrades, new civic and cultural centers, and transportation development. The Burnham Plan remains highly influential to the philosophy and process of planning cities
1909 - Forrest Hills Gardens
The Russell Sage Foundation commissioned the design and construction of Forest Hill Gardens, the first planned “garden suburb” in the United States, with the goal of providing mixed-income housing surrounded by green spaces. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. planned the community, while architect Grosvenor Atterbury designed many of the houses. Although the community showed the possibility of building affordably for a range of incomes, it became a victim of its own popularity, eventually becoming one of the highest-priced enclaves in Queens, New York.
1909 - First Course in City Planning
Harvard College introduced “The Principles of City Planning,” the first college course in city planning, through its Landscape Architecture department. The university was also the first to launch programs in city and regional planning, in 1923, and urban design, in 1960.
May 21, 1909 - First National Conference on City Planning
Benjamin Marsh, at the impetus of the Committee on Congestion of Population, organized the first national meeting on planning, the National Conference on City Planning, in Washington, D.C. Most of the prominent urbanists of the time attended the event, including Frederick Law Olmsted, John Nolen, and George Ford. The conference led directly to the creation of the American City Planning Institute in 1917.
1911 - Manual of the Plan of Chicago
Manual of the Plan of Chicago was written by Walter Moody and distributed to all schools in Chicago. The text focused on the development of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, the city’s history, and its transportation problems. Six editions of the manual were published up through 1924, making it the first initiative to educate children about planning.
1913 - Early Version of Zoning
Legislatures in New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois separately allowed some cities to create residential districts where no manufacturing or commercial establishments could operate. Although the governor of Illinois vetoed the act in that state, the moves are now seen as an early version of zoning.
Jan. 1914 - Carrying Out the City Plan
At the request of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., Boston attorney Flavel Shurtleff wrote Carrying Out the City Plan, the first text on the legal framework for city planning. The book was based on two years of research, including examining city planning outside of the United States. Shurtleff found that communities need to share information and that planning commissions are vital to plans being implemented.
March 1914 - First Municipally Employed City Planner
Harland Bartholomew became the first full-time public-sector city planner in the United States when he was hired by Newark, New Jersey. Bartholomew came to the city in 1912 to help engineering firm E.P. Goodrich develop a comprehensive plan, and he was retained to stay on after Newark ended its contract with Goodrich. He completed the plan in 1915.
1915 - Cities in Evolution
Scottish sociologist Sir Patrick Geddes, a pioneer in the field of urban planning, published the book Cities in Evolution. Geddes pushed for “constructive and conservative” changes to improve a community, rather than sweeping, monolithic plans, which he believed was less destructive to neighborhood life and would do a better job of preventing congestion. He also promoted observation of communities based on the scientific method and civic surveys. Geddes was a major influence on other planners, including Lewis Mumford, Raymond Unwin, and Frank Mears.
July 25, 1916 - Comprehensive Zoning Resolution
The 1916 Zoning Resolution was written by George McAneny and Edward Bassett as a response to concerns about overdevelopment in New York City. The resolution divided the city into “zones” based on the primary activity in that area, and created building height and setback guidelines for each zone. It is considered the first citywide zoning code in the United States.
August 15th, 1916 - National Park Service
President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill creating the National Park Service within the U.S. Department of the Interior, which was tasked with preserving natural and historic areas in the United States. The responsibilities of the service have grown from the original 35 national parks and monuments under its control to more than 400 national parks, such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Grand Canyon National Park.
May 1917 - American City Planning Institute
The American City Planning Institute, one of the predecessors of the American Planning Association, was founded, with Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. as its first president. The organization served to formalize the group that had organized the first National Conference on City Planning in 1909. The American City Planning Institute later became the American Institute of Planners.
January 1st, 1920 - Majority of Americans Live in Urban Areas
The 1920 U.S. Census was the first to report that more than half of the nation’s population was living in urban areas, showing a shift away from rural regions.
October 1921 - Proposal of Appalachian Trail
Pioneering conservationist, forester, and planner Benton McKaye published an article in the Journal of the American Institute of Architects proposing the construction of the Appalachian Trail. “An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning” highlighted the benefits of the trail as recreation, health and recuperation, and employment opportunities. The first section of the trail opened on October 7, 1923.
1922 - Country Club Plaza
Developer J.C. Nichols established Country Club Plaza, which eventually grew into a 14-block shopping center. The Kansas City, Missouri, development is considered the first car-oriented shopping center, as it included gas stations and a significant amount of free parking. It was also one of the first shopping centers to be located outside of a downtown central business district.
Feb. 10th, 1922 - Standard State Zoning Enabling Act
A U.S. Department of Commerce committee issued the third draft of the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act, a model law developed to help states create zoning restrictions in their jurisdictions. This draft contained important language defining a zoning commission and calling for a plan for zoning regulations. This was followed in 1927 by A Standard City Planning Enabling Act to help states understand the organization and powers of city and regional planning commissions, the making of city and regional plans, and controlling the layout of new subdivisions. These acts still provide the institutional structure for planning and zoning in many states.
Dec. 11th, 1922 - Creation of Regulatory Taking
A U.S. Department of Commerce committee issued the third draft of the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act, a model law developed to help states create zoning restrictions in their jurisdictions. This draft contained important language defining a zoning commission and calling for a plan for zoning regulations. This was followed in 1927 by A Standard City Planning Enabling Act to help states understand the organization and powers of city and regional planning commissions, the making of city and regional plans, and controlling the layout of new subdivisions. These acts still provide the institutional structure for planning and zoning in many states.
1923 - Herlihy Plans Boston
Elisabeth May Herlihy guided Boston in adopting its first comprehensive zoning ordinance, making her one of the first women to be seen as an expert in planning. She was secretary and a member of the Boston City Planning Board, and she later guided the effort to build the city’s Central Artery. Herlihy was the first woman to join the American City Planning Institute.
April 18th, 1923 - Formation of RPAA
The Regional Planning Association of America held its first meeting. The organization was a collaborative group of New York City-based thinkers on city and regional planning, including Clarence Stein, Benton MacKaye, Lewis Mumford, Henry Wright, and Alexander Bing. For the next decade, the RPAA worked together on creative planning projects such as the prototype communities Sunnyside Homes, Queens, and Radburn, New Jersey. It also worked toward open space preservation in urban regions and housing equity.
1924 - Moses Comes to Power
Robert Moses was named chairman of the New York State Council of Parks. This, along with positions as commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks, commissioner of the New York City Planning Commission, and chairman of the New York State Power Authority, among many others, made Moses one of the most influential and powerful people in urban development. Moses has been praised for greatly increasing the amount of parkland in New York City and helping revive the region after the Great Depression. He also has been criticized for being an autocrat and encouraging racial segregation with his developments.
1925 - First Comprehensive Plan
Cincinnati became the first American city to have a comprehensive plan approved and adopted into law by a city council. Previously, comprehensive plans had been developed by civic organizations and adopted by cities. Alfred Bettman, Ladislas Segoe, George Ford, and Ernest Goodrich worked on the Official Plan of the City of Cincinnati, which included factors like schools and play yards, garbage and refuse disposal, ways to finance improvements, and other municipal issues.
1925 - First State-Level Land-Use Plan
The New York State Housing and Regional Planning Commission, chaired by Clarence Stein, published the first state-level land-use plan in the United States. The plan, which was primarily written by Henry Wright, focused on providing transportation corridors and settlement areas, as well as on preserving rural land. A state-level land-use plan can promote effective planning for factors that have an impact outside of one community, such as growth and environmental protection.
Nov. 22, 1926 - Euclid V. Amber Tackles Zoning
In the case of Village of Euclid, Ohio, v. Ambler Realty Co., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the village of Euclid did not infringe on the rights of Ambler Realty by establishing its zoning ordinance. The ruling more broadly affirmed the constituationality of zoning and led to the growth of zoning ordinances across the United States.
1928 - Construction of Radburn, New Jersey Begins
Construction began on Radburn, New Jersey, a community designed with the intention of adapting the British Garden City concept to American legal and social standards. Radburn was a Regional Planning Association of America project designed by Clarence Stein and Henry Wright, with landscape architecture by Marjorie Sewell Cautley. Innovations included the separation of automobile traffic, the use of the superblock to cluster different types of housing around parkland, and creation of a community organization to handle some municipal functions.
1929 - Perry’s Neighborhood Unit
Clarence Perry published his monograph “The Neighborhood Unit,” which provided a framework for the concept of a neighborhood within a city. His model focused on a walkable residential district centered around a community-oriented school, with a business district on the edge and graded streets to limit external traffic through the neighborhood. Although designed for cities, the neighborhood unit became the basis for much of suburban development in the mid-20th century. Perry’s model was extremely popular in planning, although it has been criticized for being overly based in nostalgia for rural living and for encouraging racial, ethnic, religious, and economic segregation.
