Planning the City upon a Hill: Boston since 1630

by Lawrence W. Kennedy, St. Francis House

The focus of this study is on the changing role of local government in city planning. Boston's municipal government holds the primary responsibility for guiding the growth of the city. The city's political leaders have always needed to work with partners in the private sector, and in the twentieth century have found it increasingly necessary to cooperate with federal and state agencies as well. Although the roles played by the federal and state governments--like that played by the private sector--are crucial to the story of Boston, the author considers them in relation to city government. Planning the City upon a Hill is not, then, a comprehensive account of all planning done by government agencies, but an attempt to examine the process of planning and uncover some of the patterns at work. Planning Boston has been a sustained activity for nearly four this study is the story of the continuous evolution of both an idea and a city.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Urban Planning

Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be straight, this one was pretty dull, but probably only or partly because it was repetitive information to me. There's very little distinguishing this book from Whitehill's history of Boston (unsurprising, as Kennedy himself wrote the updated half of that book for the new edition).

The exception being the colourful image of Mayor Curley: ("it is a popular misconception, often repeated in print, that curled was imprison when he was elected mayor. He was not." No, Curley was only *indicted* of multiple crimes while elected mayor. He only actually went to jail during his mayoral term, during which the city clerk administered his duties). Class act.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quite comprehensive account of Boston’s physical development from 1630 through the 1980s. Kennedy more or less structures this narrative by mayoral terms (and earlier colonial leaders) coupled with graphically clear, chapter-by-chapter diagrams showing the landfill operations through the centuries. The addition of an appropriate amount of images and well-considered writing make this likely one of the best histories of the city. It’s been quite some time since I read Walter Muir Whitehill’s great Topographical History so I can’t really compare the two in any logical manner other than to say Whitehill’s was much longer – though certainly worth the effort.

As it is, Kennedy’s version convincingly knits together the various physical transformations of Boston with the attendant social, political, and economic situations throughout the last 3.5 centuries…all within 250 pages including Illustrations! Not that I’m any kind of authority on Beantown’s history, but I’ve read some other books focused on certain time-frames such as the two or three decades of Urban Renewal and the solidification of Brahminness to the detriment of nationally measurable progress as the 19th century closed and Kennedy’s abbreviated coverage of such eras is right on the mark. Therefore I found the overall narrative to be an illuminating chain linking everything together.

The one area where the writing seemed a bit timid was in covering the then-current mayor Flynn. I don’t believe this was out of any coerced deference to the guy-in-charge, but more the obvious lack of hindsight about the aftereffects of his administration (or of any potential bones falling out of the closet). This is certainly understandable but it raises the question about whether the book would have been better – or more “timeless” - without the incomplete “and that’s where we are…” type of conclusion. Overall this is a concise and smooth presentation of a complex and bumpy story.

[Charles Denison IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history of Boston from a city planning perspective. Talked about the major players in the building of old Boston and the public officials responsible for guiding it's development over time. I wish it had gone into a bit more detail about the actual plans themselves, but I suppose the author didn't want the book to be 1000 pages. A worthwhile read for any Boston history buff.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great overview of the history of municipal development in Boston, a city that was, contrary to popular belief, planned. From the visionary works of Frederick Law Olmstead to the zany antics of Mayor Curley, Boston has seen a wide variety of planners, and this book gives a good background to architechtural and social aspects of life in the city today.

[Fatima]

TCS 1999. "In 1960 when John Winthrop proclaimed . . ."