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

There’s also the question of civic urbanism—an approach to city planning that puts citizenship and community at the center.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Shade-first city planning would upend more than a century of conventional wisdom about zoning.

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2025

Those who have wanted to build bigger homes face more arduous standards, such as approval from the city planning commission and potential appeal to the Coastal Commission.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

The team are now conducting in-depth interviews with city planning and administration officials in a selection of the cities.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

An expert in such work has said that "city planning has few functions more important than the restoration of impaired property values."

From Abroad at Home American Ramblings, Observations, and Adventures of Julian Street by Street, Julian