Start Date
4-30-2026 12:35 PM
End Date
4-30-2026 1:45 PM
Disciplines
History
Subjects
City planning, City planning-- History, Ancient cities
Abstract
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. While that wasn’t always the case, cities have existed for millennia, and humans have been planning them for just as long. This paper examines the history of urban planning, from the Indus Valley civilization to Washington DC and New Orleans, into the future of planned cities like the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia. It examines the commonalities between cities across time and establishes a timeline of the emergence of different patterns in city planning history. Among the examples discussed are the Indus Valley civilization, the Ancient Greek city of Thouria, the Sasanian city of Ardašīr-Xwarrah, and Washington DC. Archaeological evidence can help to untangle the history of these cities, suggesting important information about their religion, government, and connection with other cultures. While common motifs like the grid and certain architectural designs are important to the history of urban planning, this paper also challenges the idea that there is one correct way of building a city and reinforces the importance of looking at ancient cultures as well-rounded and capable of designing for multiple purposes. Instead of focusing solely on the symbolic or functional reasoning for the plan of a city, it is ideal to examine both, to create that more developed view of these cities.
Rights
Copyright 2026 Elinor J. Stoll
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Blueprints of City Planning: How Function and Symbolism Have Shaped Our Cities
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. While that wasn’t always the case, cities have existed for millennia, and humans have been planning them for just as long. This paper examines the history of urban planning, from the Indus Valley civilization to Washington DC and New Orleans, into the future of planned cities like the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia. It examines the commonalities between cities across time and establishes a timeline of the emergence of different patterns in city planning history. Among the examples discussed are the Indus Valley civilization, the Ancient Greek city of Thouria, the Sasanian city of Ardašīr-Xwarrah, and Washington DC. Archaeological evidence can help to untangle the history of these cities, suggesting important information about their religion, government, and connection with other cultures. While common motifs like the grid and certain architectural designs are important to the history of urban planning, this paper also challenges the idea that there is one correct way of building a city and reinforces the importance of looking at ancient cultures as well-rounded and capable of designing for multiple purposes. Instead of focusing solely on the symbolic or functional reasoning for the plan of a city, it is ideal to examine both, to create that more developed view of these cities.