city planning

American  

noun

1. the activity or profession of determining the future physical arrangement and condition of a community, involving an appraisal of the present condition, a forecast of future requirements, a plan for the fulfillment of these requirements, and proposals for constructional, legal, and financial programs to implement the plan.

---

city planning British  

noun

1. the US term for town planning

---

Other Word Forms

• city planner
  noun

Etymology

Origin of city planning

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

"Voronoi diagrams have been used for centuries in a variety of applications ranging from city planning to network design," Navlakha says.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

Mr. Angel is a professor of city planning at New York University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

To be back on Temple Street talking about cities was exciting, and I wanted to see how urbanists from across the country would perceive this place that had so shaped my sense of city planning.

From Slate • Sep. 21, 2025

The city approved these two projects in 2022, but their developers have not applied for permits, according to the city planning department.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2024

Large cities, like London, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, have spent enormous sums of money in city planning after they have already grown up without plan.

From Community Civics and Rural Life by Dunn, Arthur William