Seminar 2: Modernism and Early Urban Planning

Seminar 2 looked at the beginnings of modern urban planning which occurred during the industrial revolution. The reading is written by Richard T Legates and Frederic Stout both of which are academics in the planning field. The reading looked at the growth of planning from 1870 to 1940 and looked at several planning concepts such as the Park’s Movement, the Garden City, the City Beautiful movement and modernism in planning.

The Park’s Movement was one the first concepts of planning to help create a better environment for people to live in, other than the horror of living in polluted and intoxicating industrial revolution cities. The Park’s Movement was all about bringing a natural environment to the city. One of the greatest and most successful examples, is Central Park in New York. This is a prime example of bringing a natural environment into a city, which is still very successful in the present day. Ebenezer Howard was at the forefront of Garden Cities, which were the idea of bringing the countryside into a city. Howard was very much part of the creation of the first garden city; Letchworth. The City Beautiful Movement came about in the 1890s and was continuation of both the previous movements in planning.

One of the most interesting things I discovered in the reader was Le Corbusier who argued for density through skyscrapers and Frank Lloyd Wright who argued for urban sprawl. Both of these techniques were taken up by many cities worldwide after World War 2. Though it interesting that these 20^th century plans have created issues for planners of the 21^st century. I thought that seminar 2 was very interesting and engaging and I am looking forward to the next seminar.

Seminar 1: Argument For and Against Planning

Seminar 1’s readings were from Richard E. Klosterman a well known academic that has written extensively on planning. In this reading he explores arguments for and against planning. He divides the arguments into four different areas. These were the economic arguments, the pluralist arguments, the traditional augments and the Marxist arguments. Each of which were relevant to the argument for and against planning.

The argument that stood out most to me was probably the traditional argument. Overall the argument was that planning was an external part of government and the private sector. Having the ability to make plans for society’s benefit. This really struck me because it seemed it was the most positive of all the arguments in helping society. Though Klosterman thought that the traditional argument lacked true power because of the self-interests of the planners. Meaning planners were helping themselves more than the greater good. For example traditional practices of planning did not serve society as whole but the more affluent of society. Each of the arguments have their flaws and their positives but for me I found the traditional argument the most interesting.

After the seminar we also looked at post 1980's issues facing society on a local, national and global scale. One of the local issues that we discussed was urban sprawl and the issues that have arisen from it. Nationally we discussed the issue of ageing population and one global issue that we discussed was resource scarcity. All of these issues are important into today’s planning. I’m going to leave you with quote that I think is very important in planning and is from Albert Einstein. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Introduction Planning Blog

Aspiration and Goals for this Semester

It good to back again this semester continuing with Planning Theory and Process 1. I'm looking forward to learning more about the history of planning and how it has developed over time and how those planning processes have shaped our society and the issues that have risen as a consequence of those plans. I'm also excited in learning more about different planning theories and how they have developed over time. I'm hoping that over the course of the semester you will tune in into my blog and hopefully get some useful information that will help you with your studies. I am also keen to read your blogs and hopefully get a better understanding of the course with your help.

My future aspirations with planning is to work with a major developer with big urban infrastructure projects. I feel that this fascinates me the most about planning.

Jake