Social Science Advances and Planning Applications: 1900–1965

Abstract

This article offers a survey of the impact of the social sciences on urban planning between 1900 and 1965. In so doing, the meaning of “social science advance” is considered, including criticisms of positivistic approaches. A recent compendium of social science advances is presented and modified slightly. Eighty-two advances are considered, more than half of which have had some application to urban and regional planning. The process of incorporating these advances into the milieu of urban planning theory and practice is shown to have hit full stride after 1956, with sustained and increasing impact up to 1965. The greatest impact on planning during this period appears to have been in augmenting the degree of empiricism and quantification in planning method. The paper sets the stage for a subsequent, more intensive review of the literature in this area in the period after 1965.

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