URBAN PLANNING IN TRANSITION

The American Institute of Planners celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, in 1967 by speculating upon the next fifty years and the changes to come in man's physical and social environment. For 1968's conference, the profession decided to take stock of its own situation and its responsibilities for stealing a march upon future trends, particularly those connected with rapid and continuing urbanization. The resultant papers, offered to the public to foster discussion of vital planning issues, are too ponderous (and highly priced) for general consumption, and since they do indeed reflect a state of transition. the total thrust of the collection is probably too tentative to excite the specialist. Nonetheless, there are solid contributions by planners and experts from other fields on ""The Societal Framework,"" ""The State of the Art,"" and ""The Professional Planner's Role."" To relieve the general tone of critical self-evaluation, editor Erber dwells on the predictive perception of past and present planners, highlighting vindicated Cassandras, stressing the successes achieved in a basically anti-planning culture, and tracing the maturation of the profession over the years.