The Americanization of German Zoning

The article explores the origins of zoning in the reform era which also gave rise to the planning professions in both Germany and the United States. The reform objectives of the proponents are reviewed, but the early entry of social segregation practices is also traced. It is argued that the planner's tendency to underemphasize the necessary links of a planning tool such as zoning to other supporting policies reinforces the public pressures which often subvert reform objectives.