Planning history in the USA

THE STATE Communit y interest groups Private sector/ Market forces Enviro -nment

US IMMIGRATION by fiscal year, [U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1990 Statistical Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991]”

Urban Reform in the 19th Century Characteristics of the 19C city in - Early stages of capitalist development - Development concentrated in small “gateway” cities (Atlantic seaboard and along rivers and the Great Lakes region) Private sector control Raison d’etre: economic growth Weak government/limited intervention in market place No planning for orderly development Great waves of immigration Overcrowded cities Housing shortage Unsanitary conditions Public health hazards Disease epidemics (e. g.: yellow fever, malaria, cholera)

19 Century “Planning” Activities: 1. Sanitary Reform Technological innovations European influences, and Incipient planning actions to improve cleanliness of city and public health conditions: introduction of water carriage sewerage systems (sewers) Inventory of sanitary conditions Provision of public open space Importance of adequate ventilation and sunlight and urban vegetation

This set of photos, taken on Fifth Street in New York City before and after Waring’s campaign, illustrates the dramatic effects of environmental sanitation at the end of the nineteenth century. (Museum of the City of New York)

II. CITY BEAUTIFUL Movement - Involved actions intended to improve the appearance of the city as well as improvement in public design. CB movement included 4 main elements or themes: Municipal art Civic improvement Outdoor art Classical design

Municipal Art promotion of decoration in the city addition of sculpture, statues public art display – arches, murals, fountains tree planting use of color in public spaces anti billboards and anti smoke campaigns

Civic Improvement Sought to temper the effect of industrialization in the domestic (home and neighborhood) environment Often led by women who promoted: Cleanup and beautification of communities improvement in appearance of front yards Promotion of decorative home gardens *By 1905 there were 2,426 affiliated civic improvement societies supporting the American Planning Movement.

Outdoor Art - Led by American Park and Outdoor Art Association (APOAA) - Frederick Law Olmsted a major figure of APOAA and - American Civic Association joined APOAA*. Together they pushed for: a National Park System city parks for enjoyment working people planned urban development better housing, civic art, sanitation and traffic safety.

Classical design - Led by Architects Objective: to integrate European classicism and grand design in American city, including: traditional Grecian-Roman design themes, into city plans. See for Example: Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago [But preceded by other examples like Pierre L’Enfant’s street plan of Washington, D.C. in 1790]

European Architectural Influences Doric styleCorinthian style

III. Neighborhood building and housing reform Individuals and “settlement” workers introduced humanitarian concerns for women and children Sound housing Home improvement Schools Playground Spirit of community life Overcoming crowding and unsanitary conditions inside residences

NYC Upper Middle Class Parlor NYC Tenement Room

The “Settlement” House Movement European examples: England’s first - Toynbee Hall 1884 American imitation: New York’s Stanton Hall 1886 Chicago’s Hull House and many others …

19 Century: The culminating experience

The 1893 Columbian Exposition In this “White city of almost 700 acres Chicagoans and millions of visitors, accustomed to urban ugliness, saw for the first time a splendid example of civic design and beauty in the classic pattern and on a grand scale, and they liked it. Indeed it marked the beginning in this country of orderly arrangement of extensive buildings and grounds. Robert Wrigley, Jr. In Kreukeberg, p.58

Creating a vision of the city: And they came to experience the White City

IV. Comprehensive Planning: The Plan of Chicago ( ) “Dream no small dreams.”

Then and now: Dynamic aspects of spatial images. Where in the world are these structures located?

Discussion? 19 th Century urban “planning” actions.