Urban Planning, transportation planning, environmental planning and other sorts of planning should be integrated, argues the author of this article.

Seizing A Historic Moment In Urban Planning - Forbes.com

The State Of The City
Seizing A Historic Moment In Urban Planning
Scott Sarver, 05.05.09, 06:00 PM EDT
Will our new city schemes compare to Daniel Burnham's?


On the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham's landmark "Plan of Chicago," America has arrived at a historic watershed moment. We are at a unique point in time where there is an alignment of need with funds in the form of the administration's infrastructure package. Together they could fundamentally change the shape of our urban centers. Our challenge: to look beyond the present and envision what our cities can be--not what we're resigned to accept.

Burnham was able to envision a dynamic and diverse patchwork of neighborhoods, all connected to a defining lakefront through a string of large and vibrant public parks. His plans shaped not only the built environment, but also the culture of cities like Chicago and San Francisco, and how people interact within them. It is this visionary aspect of his foresight that we must keep at the front of our minds as we begin to seize our historic opportunity. All too often the distant vision succumbs to the short view--a pitfall that tough economic times bring about.
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Urban Planning, transportation planning, environmental planning and other sorts of planning should be integrated, argues the author of this article.

While there are many vast new urban redevelopment plans on the drawing board across America--and many of them will be vying for federal infrastructure funding--I propose that they be weighed not just against economic viability, but also cultural merit and compatibility with our values. We must ask ourselves:

--Do these plans support a sustainable, productive and connected future for our urban centers and their satellite communities?

--How do we ensure our changes stand the test of time?

--How do we maintain vitality through the regeneration of our existing building stock?

We are at the forefront of a movement with the potential to shape our cities into sustainable, interconnected urban centers. To get there, we can (and should):

Shift our resources from the sprawl-induced, isolating car culture to a mass transit-based system. This paradigm shift will benefit the individual because it is cheaper and provides a higher-quality experience, and it will benefit the broader community by supporting density and using resources more efficiently. This step must begin with a razor-sharp focus on infrastructure.