Reflecting on Regional Planning—50 Years Later

The planning world celebrated Jane Jacobs's 100th birthday earlier this month, and has already begun commemorating the centennial of New York's first zoning code. But did you know regional planning rose to prominence 50 years ago?

1 minute read

May 25, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Portland

Sung Choi / Shutterstock

Mariia Zimmerman reflects on 50 years regional planning. The anniversary isn't as hard and fast as some other anniversaries, but Zimmerman ties the rise to prominence of regional planning back to 1962, with the Federal-Aid Highway Act, 1967, with the creation of the Metropolitan Council and Metropolitan Transit Commission in the Twin Cities region, and 1966, with the creation of the Columbia Region Association of Governments (CRAG)

Zimmerman begins the article by noting the "continued need for regions to work together to address an increasingly complex set of problems," which is happening in some places, while "parochialism continues to impede progress" in other places. Zimmerman lists examples from both side of the regional planning spectrum, while maintaining rhetoric speaking to the potential of regional planning. 

Friday, May 13, 2016 in MZ Strategies

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

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.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

45 minutes ago - Mass Transit

Tall modern condo buildings on both sides of CN Tower rising in middle.

Toronto Condo Sales Drop 75%

In two of Canada’s most expensive cities, more condos were built than ever — and sales are plummeting.

1 hour ago - Financial Post

Two people walking away from camera through pedestrian plaza in street in Richmond, Virginia with purple and white city bus moving in background.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA

The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

2 hours ago - WRIC