ABSTRACT
Successful urban design needs support from individual citizens as well as advocacy by organized groups; it requires government regulations that promote a positive image of what a place should be, plus a strong design-review system to make sure that long-term urban design concepts are carried out. City planning commissions make urban design judgments when they review design proposals in special districts, or when they approve a new project where the zoning has essentially been negotiated. Some 25 U. S. schools of architecture offer some kind of urban design concentration or certificate, while perhaps a dozen educational institutions offer a professional degree in urban design, almost always to people who already have a professional degree in architecture, landscape architecture, or city planning. If urban designers are involved in major transportation decisions it is usually as consultants. Urban design staff help landmarks and historic district commissions administer preservation laws, and work with community organizations to promote neighborhood conservation and renewal.
