The birth of city planning in the United States : 1840 1917 Introduction : urban planning in the American past Sanitary reform and landscape values 1840 1890 Civic art 1890 1900 The McMillan plan for Washington D.C. 1900 1902 : the nations first comprehensive city plan The origins of the city beautiful 1897 1902 The birth of the city planning ideal 1902 1903 The new planning ideal and the public interest 1902 1904 The outburst of great civic schemes 1902 1905 City beautiful planning : dreams and reality 1905 1909 City beautiful planning as a transitional art 1905 1909 The social progressive challenge 1909 The birth of city planning 1909 1910 City planning 1911 1917 : elusive quest City planning 1911 1917 : opportunistic interventionism Epilogue and conclusion : American urban planning as a fragmented art