The Return Of The Planner

Urban planning departments are experiencing a revival in cities across the nation. Governing Magazine profiles Andy Altman as a model of the 'new planner.'

1 minute read

May 6, 2004, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The significance of planning's comeback extends far beyond one city, or one metro area. Altman has emerged on the scene in Washington just as a new generation of big-city planners is enjoying a surge of political support. Planning is gaining stature in New York and Chicago, which find themselves managing population growth after years of fighting decline. Planning directors in those cities are in the enviable if contentious position of guiding neighborhoods through their first wave of gentrification and growth in decades... Modern-day public planners are a vulnerable breed, one that bears no resemblance to the power brokers of the mid-20th century, the ones such as New York's Robert Moses, who cultivated their own impregnable sources of revenue as well as their own bases of political power. Today, planners can succeed only with the support of the mayors they work for. They don't have the luxury of indulging in academic discussions about the future of cities; what they need to focus on is maneuvering their way through the touchy local politics that surround nearly every development issue."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Thursday, May 6, 2004 in Governing

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

4 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

5 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

6 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press