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.

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city planning British  

noun

1. the US term for town planning

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Other Word Forms

• city planner
  noun

Etymology

Origin of city planning

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

city planning

Costco’s Southern California stand-alone station was built at the site of a former Bed Bath & Beyond, according to local city planning documents filed to propose the redevelopment last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

"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

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

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 Civic Improvement League, with a woman president, was taking a continuous interest in matters of playgrounds and parks, clean streets and city planning.

From V. V.'s Eyes by Harrison, Henry Sydnor