A CHRONICLE OF SCIENTIFIC PLANNING - THE ANGLO-AMERICAN MODELING EXPERIENCE

The application of computer models of land use and transportation that began over 30 years ago still provides the best example of how a science of planning might be developed. The tension between theory and practice that has always been an integral part of the movement provides a mirror in which we can explore many of the limits to our science and art. Here we provide a chronology of developments, identifying how formal theories and new technologies have enriched our abilities to learn about the nature of planning, but also demonstrating an urgent need for new urban theories and models with which to explore current problems.