Ten Failures that Shaped the 20th Century American City
Planning historian Larry Gerckens takes a closer look at what he considers the ten most significant “failures” that shaped the development of America’s cities in the 20th century.
Laurence Gerckens
Laurence Gerckens, FAICP, is national historian for the American Institute of Certified Planners, founder of The Society for American City and Regional Planning History, and emeritus professor at The Ohio State University. Gerckens has also taught American urban planning history as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, Kansas State University, and Goucher College, Baltimore. He is also a frequent speaker at planning conferences.
Over the years, Gerckens has prepared a number of fascinating articles for the Planning Commissioners Journal, including a special issue: The Promise of America, which included the twin articles: 10 Successes that Shaped the 20th Century American City and 10 Failures that Shaped the 20th Century American City.
Capping off Gerckens’ contributions to the PCJ is his highly information Planning ABC’s — an alphabetic overview and historical perspective on 26 key planning-related topics.
Most Recent Articles
Ten Successes that Shaped the 20th Century American City
Planning historian Larry Gerckens takes a closer look at what he considers the ten most significant “successes” that shaped the development of America’s cities in the 20th century.
Ten Events That Shaped the 20th Century American City
Noted planning historian Laurence Gerckens takes a look back at those major events that most shaped the 20th century American city.
Single-Family-Only Zones
Planning historian Larry Gerckens takes a look back at the origins of single-family-only zoning, and why its key premise of fostering good citizenship through home ownership is unsound.
Community Leadership & the Cincinnati Planning Commission
Planning historian Larry Gerckens takes a look at how the citizens of Cincinnati made planning history ninety years ago.
American Zoning & the Physical Isolation of Uses
Most zoning ordinances segregate residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Planning historian Larry Gerckens tells how this came to be.
Humanizing the Urban-Industrial Environment
Historian Larry Gerckens traces the evolution of greenway and parkway systems, and their role in softening the edges of the urban environment.
Community Aesthetics and Planning
Historian Larry Gerckens explains how city plan commissions were formed in response to the “City Beautiful Movement” and turn-of-the-century America’s belief in the value of improving the quality of the physical environment.
