U.C. Berkeley Library Web
Environmental Design Library
History of City Planning
Getting Started
Quick Facts
Links
Bibliographies
Selected Readings
Campus Libraries 		Researching
Finding Books
Finding Articles
Journals
Finding Local Information 		Special Resources & Topics
Biographies
Images & Maps
Archives & Special Collections
Professional Practice
History of City Planning is a bibliographic guide to research resources for the history of city planning and urbanism at the University of California, Berkeley libraries and on the Web, with an emphasis on American and California city planning. Additional resources for international planning are described in International Planning, a research guide. For titles on the history of planning and urbanization for individual countries or places please consult The Library's online catalogs or the Environmental Design Library reference staff, 210 Wurster Hall.

UC Berkeley faculty, registered students, and staff who are off campus may use items marked UCB Only or UC Only by using The Library's proxy service or by installing the Connecting@Berkeley CD on their computer.

Last updated: 23 October 2007 Conditions of Use

    Getting Started
    Quick Facts | Links | Bibliographies | Selected Readings | Campus Libraries

    Quick Facts   Use encyclopedias, guidebooks, and manuals to find quick facts and background information on your topic. In addition to the selected, specialized titles listed here, use general encyclopedias such as the Encyclopędia Britannica online - UCB Only. For additional online encyclopedias go to The Library's home page; select " Electronic Resources" under the "Find Information" tab; select "Electronic Resources by type;" select "Encyclopedias and Almanacs."

  1. American town plans: a comparative time line, by Keller Easterling, with a chronology by Keller Easterling and Richard Prelinger.  NY: Princeton Architectural Pr., 1993.
    2. EnvDesign NA9105 E28 1993 Reference (disk on Reserve)
  2. Encyclopedia of community: from the village to the virtual world, Karen Christensen & David Levinson, general eds. 4 vols.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003. Excellent source, with substantive articles and bibliographies.
    3. EnvDesign HM756 E53 2003 Reference
  3. Encyclopedia of the city, Roger W. Caves, ed. NY: Routledge, 2005. Concise signed articles on a wide range of planning topics and concepts. Most articles include brief bibliographies.
    4. EnvDesign HT108.5 E63 2005 Reference Desk
  4. Encyclopedia of urban America: the cities and suburbs, Neil Larry Shumsky, ed. 2 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1998.
    EnvDesign HT123 E5 1998 Reference
  5. Milestones in California planning history, by Larry Mintier. [2001].
    6. EnvDesign KFC810 M56 2001 Reference
  6. Pathways in American planning history: a thematic chronology: 1785-2000, IN: Almanac of architecture and design, James P. Cramer and Jennifer Evans Yankopolus, eds. Washington, DC: Greenway Communications, 2000, pp.334-346.
    7. Online ed.: http://www.planning.org/pathways/, Albert Guttenberg, comp.; paper ed.: EnvDesign NA9 A27 Latest ed. Reference Desk; previous ed. Reference; other copies circ.
  7. Wikipedia Web-based, collaboratively-authored encyclopedia. Useful for confirming a research starting point. User Beware: Content is non-authoritative, and in some instances has been demonstrated to be deliberately false.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

    Links Here's a short list of organizational and informational Web sites concerned with the history of planning.

    Centre for Urban History (Leicester Univ.): http://www.le.ac.uk/urbanhist
    Cyburbia: the planning portal: http://www.cyburbia.org/directory/index.php?t=sub_pages&cat=199
     Offers links to many interesting planning and urban history sites.

    H-Urban: http://www.h-net.org/~urban/
     A moderated, multi-disciplinary forum for scholarship on urban history and urban studies. Site includes scholarly book reviews and useful links.

    Historical Geography Specialty Group (Assoc. of American Geographers): http://www.geog.okstate.edu/hgsg/hgsg.htm
    International Planning History Society: http://www.planninghistory.org/
    National Council on Public History: http://ncph.org/
    National Trust for Historic Preservation: http://www.nthp.org/
    Society for Landscape Studies: http://www.landscapestudies.com/
    Society for American City and Regional Planning History: http://www.dcp.ufl.edu/sacrph/
    Society of Architectural Historians: http://www.sah.org/

    Bibliographies  Specialized bibliographies can help you find publications on your topic. Also look for bibliographies in books as well as in journal and encyclopedia articles. To find additional bibliographies, search the Melvyl® online catalog: subject = City planning -- History -- Bibliography.

  1. Architecture series--bibliography. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies, 1978-1990.  Includes more than 2,300 bibliographies on architecture and related topics.
    2. EnvDesign NA200 A12 A7 Index
  2. The Cinematic city: the city and architecture in motion pictures (UC Berkeley, Library). An extensive bibliography of books and articles on the idea of the city represented in film.
    3. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/cinematiccity.html
  3. CPL bibliography. Chicago, IL: Council of Planning Librarians, 1979-1995. More than 300 substantive annotated bibliographies on a wide range of city and regional planning topics.
    4. EnvDesign HT166 A12 C6a Index
  4. History of urban and regional planning: an annotated bibliography, by Anthony Sutcliffe. London: Mansell Publishing, 1981. Includes more than 1,400 annotated entries on planning history and 19th-century antecedents, individual planners, planning in individual cities and towns, and planning as a world movement.  British emphasis.
    5. EnvDesign HT166 S913 Noncirculating
  5. History of urban planning in the United States: an annotated bibliography, by Martin Gellen. Chicago, IL: CPL Bibliographies, 1983.
    6. EnvDesign HT393 C2C25 W6 no.401
  6. Landmark books, articles, reports, research, Albert Guttenberg, comp. One 'theme' of the Pathways of American Planning History Web site. A chronological listing of significant planning publications, from 1791 to 1981.
    7. http://www.planning.org/pathways/timebook.htm
  7. Public administration series--bibliography. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies, 1978-1991.  Includes more than 3,100 bibliographies on public administration and related topics.
    8. EnvDesign HT166 A12 P8 Index

    Selected Readings   Listed here are selected titles which present the history of planning from a broad perspective. To find additional titles, use the following subject terms in Melvyl®: City planning -- [place name] -- History.

    General

  1. Cities in evolution; an introduction to the town planning movement and to the study of civics, by Patrick Geddes. London: Williams & Norgate, 1915.
    2. EnvDesign NA9030 G4
  2. Cities of tomorrow: an intellectual history of urban planning and design in the twentieth century, by Peter Hall. 3rd ed. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2002.
    3. EnvDesign HT166 H349 2002
  3. The City in history: its origins and transformations, and its prospects, by Lewis Mumford. NY: Harcourt, Brace & World [1961]. History of the city from prehistoric to modern times, with a Western emphasis. Extensive bibliography.
    4. EnvDesign HT111 M8
  4. The History of the city, by Leonardo Benevolo. Translated by Geoffrey Culverwell. Cambridge, MA: MIT Pr., 1980. Excellent historical coverage of the Western world and the Middle East. Extensively illustrated with photographs and plans. Original Italian text: HT111 B45 1993.
    5. EnvDesign HT111 B4513 1980 Reference & circulating
  5. Introducing planning, by Clara Greed. New Brunswick, NJ: Athlone Pr., 2000. Includes an extensive bibliography, pp.257-269.
    6. EnvDesign HT166 G685 2000
  6. Making the invisible visible: a multicultural planning history - UCB Only, Leonie Sandercock, ed. Berkeley: Univ. of California Pr., 1998.
    7. EnvDesign HT166 M2464 1998
  7. The New towns record, 1946-1996: 50 years of UK new town development [CD-ROM], designed, edited and published by the Planning Exchange, Glasgow, Anthony Burton and Joyce Hartley.Glasgow: Planning Exchange, 1997.Disc 1. Encyclopaedia; Disc 2. Legislation and annual reports.
    8. EnvDesign HT169 G7 N49 1997 compu/d CD-ROM Permanent Reserve
  8. Planning the twentieth-century city: the advanced capitalist world, by Stephen V. Ward. Chichester: Wiley, 2002.
    9. EnvDesign HT166 W35 2002
  9. Towards the planned city: Germany, Britain, the United States, and France, 1780-1914, by Anthony Sutcliffe. NY: St. Martin's Pr., 1981. A public policy approach to city planning history. Addresses the pre-1914 contributions to urban planning and planning as an international movement. Bibliography.
    10. EnvDesign HT166 S914 1981
  10. Urban planning in a changing world: the twentieth century experience, Robert Freestone, ed. NY: Routledge, 2000.
    11. EnvDesign HT166 U7387 2000
  11. Urban planning, 1794-1918: an international anthology of articles, conference papers, and reports, John W. Reps, comp. Offers full-text primary source material for the study of how urban planning developed up to the end of World War I. Includes bibliographies and biographic information on authors.
    12. http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/homepage.htm
  12. The Urban world, by J. John Palen. 6th ed. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2002. A readable international survey of urbanization. Bibliography.
    13. EnvDesign HT151 P283 2002

    United States  Listed here is a selection of titles on the history of American planning, with an emphasis on the U.S. as a whole, as well as a few classic texts.

  1. The American city: literary sources and documents, Graham Clarke, ed.  3 vols. Robertsbridge, East Sussex: Helm Information, 1997. A useful compilation of original texts pertaining to the American city. Includes extensive bibliographies and an 11 page chronology (volume 1).
    2. EnvDesign HT123 A43 1997
  2. American city planning since 1890; a history commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the American Institute of Planners, by Mel Scott. Berkeley: Univ. of California Pr., 1969. Includes a substantial bibliography and plans.
    3. EnvDesign NA9108 S3
  3. The American planning tradition: culture and policy, Robert Fishman, ed. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Pr., 2000.
    4. EnvDesign HT167 A5769 2000
  4. Architecture and town planning in colonial North America, by James D. Kornwolf, with the assistance of Georgiana W. Kornwolf. 3 vols.  Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., 2002. Emphasis is architecture but includes descriptions and images of colonial town plans. Covers U.S. colonies, with some treatment of Canada.
    5. EnvDesign NA703 K67 2002
  5. The Birth of city planning in the United States, 1840-1917, by Jon A. Peterson. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Pr., 2003.
    6. EnvDesign HT167P47 2003
  6. Dreaming the rational city: the myth of American city planning, by M. Christine Boyer. Cambridge, MA: MIT Pr., 1983. Discusses the rise of the "planning mentality" in America from the 1890s to the postwar era. Extensive bibliography.
    7. EnvDesign HT167 B655 1983
  7. Introduction to planning history in the United States, Donald A. Krueckeberg, ed. New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers University, 1983. Introduction to the history of the city planning profession from the 19th century to the present.
    8. EnvDesign HT167 I57 1983
  8. The Language of planning: essays on the origins and ends of American planning thought, by Albert Z. Guttenberg. Urbana, IL: Univ. of Illinois Pr., 1993.
    9. EnvDesign HT167 G88 1993
  9. Learning from the past: the history of planning: symposium, [David A. Johnson and Daniel Shaffer, guest editors], IN: Journal of the American Planning Association, 51: 2 (spring 1985), pp.131-208. Includes bibliographies.
    10. EnvDesign NA9000 A48 Bound periodicals
  10. The Making of urban America; a history of city planning in the United States, by John W. Reps. NJ: Princeton Univ. Pr., 1997. Classic text. Includes bibliography.
    11. EnvDesign & Main HT123 M286 1997
  11. Planning the twentieth-century American city, Mary Corbin Sies and Christopher Silver, eds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., 1996.
    12. EnvDesign HT167 P557 1996
  12. The Spaces between buildings, by Larry R. Ford. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., 2000. Looks at the history of 20th century city planning and public spaces.
    13. EnvDesign NA9053 S6 F67 2000
  13. Two centuries of American planning, Daniel Schaffer, ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., 1988.  A concise survey of American planning history, from the early 19th century.
    14. EnvDesign HT167 T861 1988
  14. Urban transportation planning in the United States: an historical overview, by Edward Weiner,  4th ed., rev. Nov. 1992. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, [1992]. Substantial survey, focussing on key legislation, policy developments, etc., in the evolution of urban transportation planning.
    15. Trans HE308 W45 1992


    Campus Libraries   The following campus libraries have rich collections that support city planning history research.

    Architecture Visual Resources Libary
    232 Wurster Hall
    Note: UC Berkeley faculty & grad. students only.
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ARCH/
    The Bancroft Library
    Temporarily located at 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley
    Note: Noncir. only. No photocopying.
    http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/

    Doe Library

    Reference Center, 2nd floor; stack portal, 1st floor
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff/
    Earth Sciences & Map Library
    50 McCone Hall
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/
    Environmental Design Library
    210 Wurster Hall
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/
    Institute of Governmental Studies Library
    109 Moses Hall
    Note: Great strength in California local government materials. Noncir. only.
    http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/
    Harmer E. Davis Transportation Library
    412 McLaughlin Hall 
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ITSL/
    Institute of Governmental Studies Library
    109 Moses Hall
    Note: Great strength in California local government materials. Noncir. only.
    http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/
    Media Resources Center
    1st Floor, Moffitt Library
    Note: Noncirc. only
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/
    Water Resources Center Archives
    410 O'Brien Hall 
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/WRCA/


    Researching
    Finding Books | Finding Articles | Journals | Finding Local Information

    Finding Books  Here is a selected list of catalog subject headings which may be useful in your search. Check also for other useful subheadings, such as Bibliographies, History, Handbooks, etc.  Guidebooks to cities may also have sections on city planning history.  HINT: For city planning research, start with the Melvyl® online catalog; it has the best UC Berkeley library coverage, and great keyword searching.

    When Melvyl® isn't enough, particularly when your topic is geographically remote from California, the Western U.S., Latin America, or the Pacific Rim, search WorldCat database - UCB Only, a database of more than 88 million records in all disciplines from more than 57,000 libraries worldwide.  Request items through Interlibrary Borrowing via WorldCat or the Library Web site.

    [place name]--Description and travel
    [place name]--Guidebooks
    Cities and towns--[place name]--History
    City planners--Biography
    City planners--[place name]
    City planning--[place name]
    City planning--History     		Garden cities --[place name]--History
    Land use, Urban --[place name]--History
    New towns--[place name]--History
    Regional planning--[place name]--History
    Transportation--[place name]--Planning--History
    Urban renewal--[place name]--History
    Urbanization--[place name]--History

    Finding Articles   Use journal and newspaper indexes and databases to discover articles on your topic.  Some online databases include the full text of the articles you discover or the icon which may lead you to the full text elsewhere. In many cases, however, you will need to locate the print journal in the Library's collections; search the Library's online catalogs by the journal title in order to find the shelving location and call number for the journal.  For UC or UC Only titles, go to The Library's home page; go to Find Information and select Articles.
    Journal Indexes | Newspaper Indexes

    Journal Indexes
  1. City planning periodical indexes (UC Berkeley, Library) An annotated list of journal article indexes for city planning. A good starting place.
    2. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/planindx.html
  2. America: history and life via CLIO - UC Only Contains article abstracts and bibliographical citations of reviews and dissertations on the history and culture of the U.S. and Canada from prehistoric times to the present.
    3. Online ed.: 1982--; paper ed.: 1954--; Main Stack E3 A43
  3. American periodicals series online 1740-1900 via ProQuest - UCB Only Full text digitized images of the pages of American magazines and journals published between 1740 and 1900.
    4. Coverage: 1741-1900
  4. Anthropology Plus via OCLC/FirstSearch - UC Only  Contains citations to articles and essays in anthropology, archaeology, and related fields, including urban history and planning. Some full text.
    5. Coverage: late 19th century--
  5. Compendex - UCB Only via Engineering Village 2 || Guide  Indexes more than 4,500 journals, conference proceedings, and books in a broad range of engineering and construction topics, including civil engineering.
    6. Online ed.: 1884--; paper ed.: 1892/95--; Engin T1E51 Abstracts
  6. Historical abstracts via CLIO - UC Only Index to abstracts and bibliographical citations of books and dissertations on all branches of world history, except the U.S. & Canada, from l450 to the present.
    7. Online ed.: 1954--; paper ed.: coverage varies; Main D299 H5712 & D410 H55
  7. History of science, technology, and medicine via OCLC/FirstSearch - UC Only  Contains citations for journal articles, conference proceedings, books, book reviews, and dissertations in the history of science, the history of technology, and allied historical fields. Subjects covered include engineering, town planning, and transportation.
    8. Coverage: 1976--
  8. JSTOR - UCB Only  A full-text archive of interdisciplinary scholarly journal literature, including architecture and architectural history, cultural studies, economics, history, political science, public policy and administration, and sociology.
    9. Coverage: Varies
  9. PAIS international & PAIS archive via CSA - UCB Only  Topics covered include city planning, environment, finance, government, law, legislation, social sciences, and statistics. Good source for public policy topics.
    10. Online coverage: 1972--, and 1915-1976, respectively; paper ed.: 1954-1995; Main & Busi/Econ H106 P7
  10. Periodicals index online (formerly Periodicals contents index) via Chadwyck - UC Only  Indexes periodicals, newspapers, government documents, and more.  Includes some full text access. International scope. Titles indexed include Cities, JAPA, Journal of Urban History, and Town Planning Review.
    11. Coverage: 1665-1995
  11. Poole's plus (19th century masterfile) - UCB Only A subject index to 479 American and English periodicals. Citations only.
    12. Online ed.: 1802-1906; paper ed.:  Poole's index to periodical literature: an index to periodical literature, Main AJ3 P7 1852
  12. Royal Institute of British Architects Library online catalog Indexes both journal articles and books.  Search terms can be found in its thesaurus, Architectural Keywords (NA31 A77 Index). Formerly called Architectural Periodicals Index. Especially useful for titles related to the Garden City movement. British emphasis.
    13. Online ed.:  1980s--; paper ed.:  1972--; EnvDesign NA8 A73 Index
  13. TRIS online.  U.S. Dept. of Transportation. A comprehensive bibliographic database of transportation research information. Includes some full text publications. Covers literature from the 1960s to the present, with some coverage of prior years. Highway Research Board publications are covered back to 1923.
    14. http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/index.do
  14. Web of science  - UCB Only A multidisciplinary database, with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the sciences. Indexes 8,000 major journals across all disciplines.
    15. Online ed.: 1900--; paper ed.: 1945/54--; Bioscience Q151 A12 S36 Index Area

    Newspaper Indexes In addition to the indexes listed here, some newspapers are available full text on the Web; information regarding archives of older issues is sometimes available at these sites. See The Library's home page; go to Find Information, select Electronic Resources, go to Electronic Resources by Type, and choose News Databases for a list of links to online full text local and international newspapers, and other news media.

  1. Access world news via NewsBank - UCB Only Formerly America's Newspapers . Full text database of articles from 500+ regional, national, and international newspapers and newswires.
    2. Coverge: Varies
  2. Historical newspapers online via Chadwyck-Healey - UCB Only Contains four major historical resources: Palmer's Index to the Times (1790 to 1905); Palmer's Full Text Online (1785-1870), which provides access to the full text  articles referenced in Palmer's index to the Times; The Official Index to the Times (1906 to 1980); The Historical Index to the New York Times (1851-1923).
    Coverage: Varies
  3. Lexis-Nexis academic - UCB Only Includes indexing to journals and newspapers and provides full text.
    4. Coverage: Varies

    Selected Journals for Planning History   Here's a selection of historical and current journals containing articles relevant to city planning or urban history.

  1. Cities: the international journal of urban policy and planning via ScienceDirect - UC Only
    2. Online ed.: 1997--; full text available via ScienceDirect; paper ed.: 1983--; EnvDesign HT165.53 G7 C5
    Indexes: Per. Ind. Online, 1983-1995; Avery, 1985--; PAIS, 1985--; Soc. Abst., 1984-1997; Social Sci. Cit. Index, 2000--
  2. Garden cities & town planning, London, P. S. King & son, ltd. [etc.]. Official journal of the Garden Cities and Town Planning Association (earlier named Garden City Association). Continued by: Town and country planning.
    Microfilm: 1904-1932; EnvDesign MICROFILM 3365 NA
    Paper ed.: 1907-1932; EnvDesign NA9000 G3 Bound periodicals (ser. 3, v.14 in storage)
    Index: Avery, 1919-mid-1920s
  3. JAPA: journal of the American Planning Association via ProQuest - UC Only Title varies.
    Online ed.: 1988--; paper ed.: 1935--; EnvDesign NA9000 A48 Recent unbound issues on reserve; bound volumes in periodical stacks
    Indexes: Per. Ind. Online, 1935-1995; Urb. Aff. Abs., 1971--; Research Library: indexed 11/72--, full text Winter 1988--; Exp. Acad., 1992-- (some full text); EBSCO, 1990-- (some full text); Avery, 1992--; Soc. Abst., 1992--
  4. Journal of planning education and research via CSA. Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.
    Online ed.: Coverage varies; full text available via Urban Studies & Planning; paper ed.: 1981--; EnvDesign NA1 A12 J68 Unbound & bound periodicals
    Indexes: Avery, 1982--; JPL, 1986--; Sage Urb. Stud. Abs., [1987]
  5. Journal of urban history - UC Only
    6. Online ed.: Coverage varies; paper ed.: 1974--; EnvDesign HT111 J681
    Indexes: Amer. Hist. Life, 1974--; PAO, 1972-1995, full text; Avery, 1975--; Soc. Abst., 1977--; Exp. Academic, 1996--(some full text); Res. Library, 1997--(some full text); ECO, 1999--, full text; JPL
  6. Journal of urban planning and development via ASCE Research Library. American Society of Civil Engineers. Urban Planning and Development Division, 1956--. Title varies. In earlier years was part of the ASCE proceedings. Full text available on ASCE Web site, v.119 (1993)--.
    7. EnvDesign TA1 A47 C5 Bound periodicals & NRLF
    Indexes: PAIS Archive, Compendex, CSA Eng. Abs.
  7. Planning history: bulletin of the International Planning History Society. 1988--.
    8. EnvDesign HT166 P55
    Indexes: Hist. Ab., 1991--
  8. Planning history studies. Society for American City and Regional Planning History. Columbus, OH: The Society.
    9. EnvDesign HT167 P54
  9. Planning perspectives: an international journal of history, planning and the environment via IngentaConnect - UCB Only.  International Planning History Society, London: E. & F.N. Spon.
    10. Online ed.: 1996--, full text available via IngentaConnect and ECO indexes/databases; paper ed.: 1986--; EnvDesignNA9000 P59
    Indexes: IngentaConnect, 1996--(full text); ECO, 1996--(full text); JPL, 1996--
  10. Proceedings of the National Conference on American Planning History, Columbus, OH: Published and dist.by the Society for American City and Regional Planning History.
    11. EnvDesign HT167 N242 1986--
  11. Storia della citta. Milano: Electa Editrice. v.1 (1976)-56(1990) Nicely illustrated with plans, maps, etc.
    12. EnvDesign NA9000 S8 Bound periodicals & NRLF
  12. Urban affairs review via CSA - UCB Only Title varies.
    13. Online ed.: 1965--, full text via CSA; paper ed.: 1965--; EnvDesign HT101 U67
    Indexes: Urb. Aff. Ab., 1971-1994; Soc. Abst., 1995--; Mags. Index, 1995--; Amer. Hist. Life, 1995--; PAIS, 1995-1999; JPL, 1986--
  13. Urban history via Cambridge Univ. Press - UCB Only
    14. Online ed.: 1999--; paper ed.: 1974--; EnvDesign HT101 U67
    Indexes: JPL
    Finding Local Information   Finding information about a specific place can be quite difficult. Start with the Finding Local Information guide, for strategies to help uncover hidden information.
    Public Records | Government Publications | General Plans
    Finding Public Records  Public records are important resources in researching the history of specific places. Local government agencies often maintain useful records, for example, building and water or utility permits and city block books. Note that older records may be held in historical agencies or public library special collections. Federal agencies also have materials related to historic buildings and places. Refer to the Archives & Special Collections section for a list of local collections and archival sources.

  1. The Investigative reporter's handbook: a guide to documents, databases and techniques, by Brant Houston, Len Bruzzese, 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. See especially the section on "Who owns the land?," pp. 474-478.
    2. EnvDesign PN4781 I578 2002 Reference
  2. Paper trails: a guide to public records in California, by Stephen Levine and Barbara T. Newcombe. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Center for Investigative Reporting; Sacramento: California Newspaper Publishers Association, 1996.
    3. EnvDesignCD3111 N48 1996 Reference Desk
  3. Public record directory (Search Systems)  A directory of links to free public record databases on the Internet.
    4. http://www.searchsystems.net/

    Finding Government Publications  Local and federal government publications can be great primary sources on the history of city planning in specific places. Use them to find records of public policy and community perspectives on diverse land use and community development issues. Many government documents are listed in The Library's online catalogs; start with the Melvyl catalog for complete coverage of the UC Berkeley campus libraries.

  1. Directories:
    -----. State and local government on the net: a directory of official state, county, and city government Web sites (Piper Resources)
    2. http://www.statelocalgov.net/index.cfm

    -----. U.S. government agencies and departments (UC Berkeley, Library)
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff/govinfo/federal/gov_usagencies.html
  2. Index to current urban documents - UCB Only  NY: Greenwood Pr. A unique collection of American and some Canadian local government publications, including city, county and regional plans. Selected California reports from this collection are also available in the Environmental Design Library (Microfiche 10010).
    3. Online ed.:  2000--; paper ed.: 1972--; EnvDesign JS13 A12M85 Index & GSSI; Index & full text documents on microfiche in Institute of Governmental Studies Library (1983/84--)
  3. LexisNexis--Congressional - UC Only A surprising amount of city- and community-level information is available in U.S. Congressional publications. This database provides indexing and abstracts of congressional publications back to 1789, the full text of many congressional committee reports and testimony since 1994, and much more.
    4. http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/

    Finding General Plans   General plans, comprehensive plans, master plans--often the only record of a community's formal physical and public policy intentions--by any name local plans are excellent primary sources for history of planning research. Technically a category of government publications, general plans are so valuable for history of twentieth century city planning research that they merit their own section.

  1. Finding general plans (UC Berkeley, Library) A guide to finding general plans; includes strategies and sources. A good starting place for understanding and locating general plans.
    2. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/genplans.html
  2. The Institute of Governmental Studies Library (IGSL) maintains the most complete collection of California city and county planning documents on the UC Berkeley campus. Ranging from the 1940s to the present, the collection is fully cataloged and does not circulate. Since 1983 catalog records have appeared in the Melvyl® online catalog; earlier catalog records are in the Library's card and book catalogs.

    3. -----. The California Local Planning Documents Database is an online index of California general plans owned by IGSL. The database may be accessed at IGSL or via the Web. Current planning documents are the primary focus of the database. Includes addresses of planning agencies.
    http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/calplans.html
    Special Collections & Topics
    Biographies | Images & Maps | Archives & Special Collections | Professional Practice

    Biographies  The biographies of planners can be rich sources of information about the history of a particular period or event in planning.

  1. American planner: biographies & recollections, Donald A. Krueckeberg, ed. 2nd ed. New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Urban Policy Research, 1994.  Biographies of leading American city and regional planners, 1890-1980.
    2. EnvDesign HT167 A5767 1994
  2. Biographical information for city planners (UC Berkeley, Library)  A guide to resources and strategies for locating biographical information about city planners.
    3. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/planbiog.html

    Images & Maps   In addition to the books and other sources already listed, urban images, plans, and maps may be found in specialized books and on the Web. The archives listed in this guide are also potentially great sources for images. See also Image Sources for the Built Environment for links to print and Web-based images.

  1. American memory  The American Memory Historical Collections are multimedia collections of digitized documents, photographs, recorded sound, moving pictures, and text from the Library of Congress' Americana collections, including a rich archive of images and text on U.S. urban history.
    2. http://rs6.loc.gov/amhome.html
  2. Bird's eye views: historic lithographs of North American cities, by John W. Reps. NY: Princeton Architectural Pr., 1998.
    3. EnvDesign fNE2454 R45 1998  Reference & circulating
  3. California heritage project.  A digital archive containing photographs, pictures, and manuscripts from the collections of the Bancroft Library. Includes many historical images of SF Bay Area places.
    4. http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CalHeritage/
  4. Civitates orbis terrarum, 1572-1618, [by] Georg Braun & Hogenberg. With an introd. by R. A. Skelton. Amsterdam, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1965. A facsimile edition of the detailed and colored set of maps of 16th century European town plans produced by Georg Braun.
    5. EnvDesign fNA9090 M53 v.1-3, pt.1-6 Rare Books

    -----. The City maps of Europe: 16th century town plans from Braun & Hogenberg. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1992. Facsimiles from the original Civitates orbis terrarum in one volume. 60 cities included.
    Earth Sci fG1799 A1 B75 1992 Noncir.

    -----. Old European cities; thirty-two 16th-century city maps and texts from the Civitates orbis terrarum of Georg Braun & ...  London: Thames and Hudson [1965]. Reduced size reproductions of 32 maps from the orginal Civitates orbis terrarum. Some loss of detail because of reduction.
    Main D907 B715 1965
  5. Environmental design videography (UC Berkeley, Library)  A videography of videos and DVDs in the UC Berkeley Media Resources Center on the built environment, including cities, city planners, and city planning.  Noncirculating except to UCB faculty for classroom use.
    6. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/EnvidesignVid.html
  6. Historic towns atlases of Europe (Wienonline) This list includes publications compiled with the support of the International Commission for the History of Towns. Citations only.
    7. http://www.magwien.gv.at/english/history/historictowns/
  7. Index to early twentieth century city plans appearing in guidebooks, Baedeker, Muirhead-Blue guides, Murray, I. J. G. R., etc., ... to provide worldwide coverage of over 2,000 plans to over..., by Harold M. Otness. Santa Cruz: Western Assoc. of Map Libraries, 1978.
    8. EnvDesign G1028 O861 1978 Reference
  8. Index to nineteenth century city plans appearing in guidebooks: Baedeker, Murray, Joanne, Black, Appleton, Meyer, ... to provide coverage of over 1,800 plans to nearly 600 communities, found in..., by Harold M. Otness. Santa Cruz: Western Assoc. of Map Libraries, 1980.
    9. EnvDesign G1028 A12 O86 Reference
  9. Plat maps, also called fire insurance maps, show a variety of details, including actual lot boundaries, special uses, building materials and building footprints.

    10. -----. Fire insurance maps (UC Berkeley, Library)  Links to description of and indexes to fire insurance maps.
    http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/sanborn.html

    -----. Fire insurance maps in the Library of Congress: plans of North American cities and towns produced by the Sanborn Map Company: a checklist, compiled by the Reference and Bibliography Section, Geography and Map Division. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress: U.S.  Govt. Print. Off., 1981.
    EnvDesign HG9771 U54 1981 Reference; Earth Sci HG9771 U54 1981 Reference with microforms
  10. S.P.I.R.O., Architecture Visual Resources Library, UC Berkeley. The online image catalog to a portion of the AVRL's collection of over 200,000 35mm slides.  The collection is available to UCB faculty and graduate students.
    11. http://shanana.berkeley.edu/spiro/
  11. U.S. historical city maps. Digitized maps from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.
    12. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/historic_us_cities.html
  12. Views and plans of North American cities: a bibliography of guides to the location of graphic records of urban development prior to 1900, John Reps, comp. [3d ed.] Ithaca, NY: Dept. of City and Regional Planning, College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Cornell Univ., 1978.
    EnvDesign Z6027 A5 R4 1978 Reference; Earth Sci Z6027 A5 R4 1978

    Archives & Special Collections  Archives, historical societies, and local libraries can be excellent sources of primary research materials in city planning and urban history. Most state libraries also maintain archival collections of public and other records. To locate materials located in libraries not listed in the Melvyl® catalog, use WorldCat - UC Only via OCLC/FirstSearch.  Some of these materials may be available via The Library's Interlibrary Borrowing Service.

  1. American Association for State and Local History home page. Provides links at the state and national levels to historical societies and other historical organizations.
    2. http://www.aaslh.org/rlinks.htm

    -----. Directory of historical organizations in the United States and Canada. Nashville, TN: AASLH Pr., American Association for State and Local History, 1990--
    EnvDesign & Main E172 A562
  2. ArchivesUSA - UCB Only  Provides indexing to the records of the National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections and the National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United States.
    3. http://archives.chadwyck.com/
  3. Francis Violich Latin American urban planning collection.  A collection of several thousand planning documents covering the development of Latin American planning and planning education during the period 1941-1972.
    4. EnvDesign HT169 L3 V5 Shelved at NRLF; advance notice required for use.
  4. Housing and urban affairs, 1965-1976. Glen Rock, NJ: Microfilming Corp. of America, 1977. Full text microfiche collection of 3,000 local planning reports, research papers, etc., in the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Affairs Library, 1965-76.
    5. EnvDesign Microfiche 855

    -----. Index: Housing and urban affairs, 1965-1976: A bibliographic guide to the microform collection provides subject, geographic and author title access to the collection.
    EnvDesign HD7293 A121 H68 1978 Index
  5. National archives and records administration. NARA is an independent U.S. federal agency that oversees the management of all U.S. federal records. Great resource for primary research sources. The NARA Web site includes digital images of many records in the Archive.
    6. http://www.nara.gov/

    -----. Guide to federal records in the National Archives of the United States. The most complete guide to NARA's holdings. The Web version based on the 1995 print edition and is regularly updated.
    Online ed.:http://www.archives.gov/research_room/federal_records_guide/; paper ed.: Doe/Refe CD3026 1995 v.1-3 Govt/Stat

    -----. NARA Archival Information Locator (NAIL). Partial online catalog of the NARA collections, especially the photographic and motion picture holdings.
    http://www.archives.gov/research_room/nail/index.html
  6. Online archive of California. Brings together historical materials from a variety of California institutions, including museums, historical societies, and archives. Includes more than 120,000 images. The California Heritage Project is one of many searchable archives containing photographs, pictures, and manuscripts from the collections of the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library, including many historical images of San Francisco Bay Area places.
    7. http://www.oac.cdlib.org/

    Professional Practice  Here's a selection of primary and secondary sources for the study of the history of American planning practice.

  1. ACSP award history, Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. [2000]  Coverage: 1981-1999.
    2. EnvDesign HT390 A77 2000 Reserve
  2. ASPO index to proceedings of national planning conferences, 1909-1961, Mary Vance, comp. Chicago: American Society of Planning Officials, [1962] Consult The Library's online catalogs to locate copies of the proceedings.
    3. EnvDesign NA9010 A565 1909-61 Reference
  3. Intellectual evolution in the field of city and regional planning: a personal perspective toward holistic planning education 1937-2010, by Francis Violich. Working paper 2001-07. Berkeley, CA: Univ. of California at Berkeley, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, [2001].
    4. Online ed.: http://www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/pub/WP-2001-07.PDF; paper ed.: EnvDesign HT393 C2C25 W6 2001:7
  4. National historic planning landmarks. American Institute of Certified Planners. The AICP National Historic Planning Landmarks award recognizes pioneering works, used as a precedent for other work, available for public use and viewing, and a minimum of 25 years old. The awards, which began in 1986, are usually announced in the April issue of the APA's Planning magazine (EnvDesign NA9000 A5). For a cumulative list of planning landmarks, see the latest edition of the Almanac of architecture and design.
    5. EnvDesign NA9 A27 latest at Reference Desk
  5. The National Planning Association at work: six decades of providing solutions to America's challenges. Washington, DC: National Planning Association, 1995. NPA report: no. 278.
    6. EnvDesign HC103 N29 1995
  6. Planning and the planning profession; the past fifty years, 1917-1967, by Russell Van Nest Black. Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Planners, [1967]. Reviews the evolution of the planning profession and the American Institute of Planners.
    7. EnvDesign NA9108 B55
  7. The Profession of city planning: changes, images, and challenges, 1950-2000, Lloyd Rodwin and Bishwapriya Sanyal, eds. New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers, the State Univ. of New Jersey, 2000.
    8. EnvDesign HT167 P75 2000


    Compiled by Deborah Sommer
    City Planning Librarian
    Environmental Design Library

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