PLAN10020 History of City Planning

Academic Year 2022/2023

The module is primarily concered with tracing the developement of city planning from the mid-nineteenth century until mid-twentieth century as it became a core function of modern states. In so doing, it examines some of the key planning ideas from Greece, Rome, the medieval perieod, the renaissance and the early modern period. However, its core focus is on the development of key planning ideas from the nineteenth century. It investigates the emergence of planning as a response to poor conditions experienced in urban areas during the industrial revolution, and in particular poor housing conditions. Improvement in housing and environmental conditions were key early aims of the planning movement and the legacy of this is still present in many planning concepts. The emergence of planning was initially the result of efforts by private industrialists and philanthropists and the module examines their contribution to planning. However, government and state responses soon came to dominate.

The module analyses the role of key individuals like Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier in the development of city and regional planning. It explores key ideas such as the Garden City movement, the City Beautiful idea, neighbourhood planning, the development of new towns, ideas which still influence the way we think about city planning. The module examines the emergence of planning in Europe, focusing on the UK and Ireland in particular. The development of planning is the USA is also examined. The enactment of key planning legislation and systems in the twentieth century is explored. In addition to the lectures and assessments, it will be necessary to undertake substantial reading of the academic literature in order to provide a foundation for understanding contemporary ideas and systems of planning.