ABSTRACT
Seeking to better understand the thinking behind city planning, and to understand why cities look and feel as they do, invariably leads to an investigation of planning practice, processes and its development as a profession. This chapter identifies the roles for planning and related urban professions, such as architects and property developers, and considers the dominant frameworks, systems, processes and ideas that have shaped urban form and development. It recognises that cities are not the prerogative of planners alone, they reflect the work and ideas emanating from academic disciplines such as geography, sociology and development studies, and a range of professionals who are involved in shaping the cities we live in. Key questions for city development include: who plans and shapes our cities, and what is the role of planning? Cities are both ‘planned’ and ‘unplanned’, including the 1 billion overlooked city dwellers who live in informal settlements. The case is made for urban development that is reflective of a more caring ethos in planning; one that builds on the strengths already entrenched in planning’s professional philosophy and practice, as well as the desires and strengths of the people who make up the city.
