ABSTRACT
Aesthetics was simply not thought of as a function of local government. The 1920s saw the flowering of the municipal reform movement, the creation of the city manager form of government, and the introduction of professional accounting practices. While the social reform movement thrived in the 1960s, another revolution in concern for the environment was just getting under way. America's growing concern about the health effects of obesity have led to a renewed interest in neighborhood walkability and connectivity, while concern about rising asthma rates has focused attention on the need to lower pollution from motor vehicles by reducing driving. During the industrial era American communities faced daunting health problems. But many historians link the beginning of the American planning profession to the City Beautiful movement of the late 1800s. Retrofitting colonial-era cities with clean water systems, and then expanding them to serve a rapidly growing population, required both planning and civil engineering.
