The historical roots of urban open space planning
Most writing on urban open space planning provides little insight into the field's historical roots, despite a rich literature emanating from the history of the cities and the design professions. Many urban open space planners do not understand the origins of certain concepts and forms which dominate their profession; in consequence, they often fail to appreciate how urban environments have been shaped by these concepts and forms, how they interact with current urban dynamics, and how they can be successfully adapted as factors of positive change in future planning efforts. This paper provides an overview of the historical roots of urban open space planning in the hope that the alternatives presented by planners would be more imaginative and more vibrant if planners had a better appreciation of these origins.