The focus of this study is on the changing role of local government in city planning. Boston's municipal government holds the primary responsibility for guiding the growth of the city. The city's political leaders have always needed to work with partners in the private sector, and in the twentieth century have found it increasingly necessary to cooperate with federal and state agencies as well. Although the roles played by the federal and state governments--like that played by the private sector--are crucial to the story of Boston, the author considers them in relation to city government. Planning the City upon a Hill is not, then, a comprehensive account of all planning done by government agencies, but an attempt to examine the process of planning and uncover some of the patterns at work. Planning Boston has been a sustained activity for nearly four centuries: this study is the story of the continuous evolution of both an idea and a city.

“Kennedy's well-illustrated and lively account of Boston's planning history is destined to take its place among the best scholarly works that have been published on this remarkable city. . . . A major contribution not only to the multidisciplinary fields of urban planning and urban studies but also to the appropriate related disciplines of geography, history, and political science.”—CHOICE

“Kennedy balances a wealth of pertinent detail, comparisons with the history of other cities, and carefully chosen maps and aerial views to create a scholarly and well-written tome that will serve as a standard in the history of American urban planning. Highly recommended.”—Library Journal

“Kennedy serves as a fine guide to the public dimensions of Boston's building process. He follows both the process and the significance of all the major projects--public, private, and mixed--from the first wharves to the latest skyscrapers. Surely here is the book that should follow upon Walter Whitehill's classic Topographical History.”—Sam Bass Warner Jr., Jack Meyerhoff Professor of Environmental Studies, Brandeis University