ABSTRACT
City planning is a vital and growing profession. Although there are many specialists on planning teams, a city planner who has a more comprehensive view is almost always the preferred lead—which is why big engineering, architecture, and environmental firms across the United States are adding urban planning departments to their organizations. If we look to the future, the demand for city planning and planners will only increase. In fact, most planning—and almost all of the envisioning—is being done by private firms, much of it commissioned by nongovernment organizations. Boston is now planning the reclamation of one of the great public places and amenities in the city—its incredible system of neighborhood beaches which were abandoned in the 1960s due to the poor water quality of Boston Harbor. There are hundreds of regional cultural development projects involving multiple communities now being planned that are redefining the practice of regional planning.
