Architecture and Planning: The Divergence of Two Fields

Abstract

Many universities are engaged in strategic planning. A natural part of that process for a college that contains architecture and planning is the reconsideration of the administrative structure and the respective roles of each within the university. As part of such an exercise, we reevaluated the rationale for locating planning and architecture in the same unit. This paper is a result of that endeavor. We begin by inventorying the current administrative homes of the accredited programs of architecture and planning and then explore both the disciplinary and the administrative reasons for the obvious tensions between the two fields. We conclude that the disciplines have become radically different and continue to reside together only for pragmatic reasons. Finally, we suggest the beginnings of a new common discourse which may be of value to each of the disciplines, their respective professions, and the city which both disciplines profess to serve.