Planning the City upon a Hill: Boston since 1630 / Edition 1

by Lawrence W. Kennedy, St Francis House

Overview

The focus of this study is on the changing role of local government in city planning. Boston's municipal government holds the primary responsibility for guiding the growth of the city. The city's political leaders have always needed to work with partners in the private sector, and in the twentieth century have found it increasingly necessary to cooperate with federal and state agencies as well. Although the roles played by the federal and state governments—like that played by the private sector—are crucial to the story of Boston, the author considers them in relation to city government. Planning the City upon a Hill is not, then, a comprehensive account of all planning done by government agencies, but an attempt to examine the process of planning and uncover some of the patterns at work. Planning Boston has been a sustained activity for nearly four centuries: this study is the story of the continuous evolution of both an idea and a city.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870239236
Publisher:	University of Massachusetts Press
Publication date:	04/27/1994
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	(w) x (h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Lawrence W. Kennedy is associate professor in the Department of History and Political Science at the University of Scranton.

What People are Saying About This

Sam Bass Warner Jr.

Kennedy serves as a fine guide to the public dimensions of Boston's building process. He follows both the process and the significance of all the major projects—public, private, and mixed—from the first wharves to the latest skyscrapers. Surely here is the book that should follow upon Walter Whitehill's classic Topographical History.

Editorial Reviews

"Kennedy's well-illustrated and lively account of Boston's planning history is destined to take its place among the best scholarly works that have been published on this remarkable city. Nine meticulously researched, highly readable chapters draw on a wealth of materials that vividly bring to life key developments that shaped each period of Boston's growth. . . . Kennedy focuses much of his attention on the post-WWII era to bring the story of Boston's well-built environment into the 1990s. . . . A major contribution not only to the multidisciplinary fields of urban planning and urban studies but also to the appropriate related disciplines of geography, history, and political science."—Choice

"Kennedy balances a wealth of pertinent detail, comparisons with the history of other cities, and carefully chosen maps and aerial views to create a scholarly and well-written tome that will serve as a standard in the history of American urban planning. Highly recommended."—Library Journal

"Kennedy serves as a fine guide to the public dimensions of Boston's building process. He follows both the process and the significance of all the major projects—public, private, and mixed—from the first wharves to the latest skyscrapers. Surely here is the book that should follow upon Walter Whitehill's classic Topographical History."—Sam Bass Warner Jr. , Jack Meyerhoff Professor of Environmental Studies, Brandeis University

From the Publisher

Kennedy's well-illustrated and lively account of Boston's planning history is destined to take its place among the best scholarly works that have been published on this remarkable city. Nine meticulously researched, highly readable chapters draw on a wealth of materials that vividly bring to life key developments that shaped each period of Boston's growth.... Kennedy focuses much of his attention on the post-WWII era to bring the story of Boston's well-built environment into the 1990s.... A major contribution not only to the multidisciplinary fields of urban planning and urban studies but also to the appropriate related disciplines of geography, history, and political science.

Choice

Kennedy (history, Boston Coll.) presents a plausible and detailed study depicting Boston as a carefully planned city. Weaving together economic, political, social, cultural, architectural, and urban planning history, he outlines the early organization of the town based on capitalist concerns; Charles Bulfinch's contributions to the design of public buildings and neighborhoods; the 19th-century creation of Quincy Market, the new South End, and the filled-in Back Bay; and the 20th-century ``City Beautiful'' movement. Drawing on the work of Boston urban historians Walter Whitehill and Sam Bass Warner, as well as countless primary and secondary sources, Kennedy balances a wealth of pertinent detail, comparisons with the history of other cities, and carefully chosen maps and aerial views to create a scholarly and well-written tome that will serve as a standard in the history of American urban planning. Highly recommended.-- Kathleen Eagen Johnson, Historic Hudson Valley, Tarrytown, N.Y.

Library Journal

A textbook for undergraduate students which considers the diversity of plants, how they function, and the central role they play in our ecosystem. Tracing Boston's planning history from the colonial period into the 1990s, Kennedy examines the processes, uncovers some of the patterns, and examines the major projects, keeping his account lean and manageable by avoiding the temptation to be comprehensive. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews