Examine the value of planning given the History of Urban Development Essay

Examine the value of planning given the History of Urban Development in the US from the 19th century onwards - Essay Example The planning is still on, and the American towns and cities continue to exhibit noteworthy and extensive growth. All American cities exhibit high degrees of marvelous design in the way they appear and how they function. Most of the present-day cities started by being centers of particular reasons. Some began as trade centers while others started as storage and manufacture centers. Some cities also started as agriculture and market centers where produce from surrounding lands was kept. In the history of the US also, some cities began at the junctions of large transport routes such as large rivers, ocean ports or large roads. Therefore, it can be shown that most of these cities were planned for. At the time, for example, the leaders of the people decided on the towns that were market centers or those that were administrative centers. This illustrates massive planning over time in the growth of cities. At the start of the 19th century, most of the cities were planned in such a way that they provided protection in times of war. City walls were constructed in such a way that when there was war, the rural populace would hide behind the walls. This was a time when warfare was common in the land. Such walls required massive innovation and planning so that they would serve their purpose.