During the mid-twentieth century period of Title I urban renewal, planners operated in a field that featured big plans and bold projects. Urban renewal was an approach in which well-meaning people set out to clean up our messy cities and many of the people who lived in them through large-scale projects. This approach was supported by law and a general consensus that the demolition of substandard housing was a good thing. But, like the rest of us, poor people need housing too, and bitter struggles over urban renewal displacements forced politicians to end the program in 1974. Today, few planners are involved in planning for giant projects. Unlike architects who see the city as a world of built forms, or developers who rarely see the city at all but see only packages of potential profit, most planners see a more comprehensive picture. The way planners see their cities is important, because of their power to influence land use decisions and because their code of ethics directs them to expand choice and opportunity for all persons, recognizing a special responsibility to plan for the needs of disadvantaged populations (AICP, 2010)
