| The writings, theory, and planning projects of Charles Mulford Robinson (1869-1917) are integrated in this study emphasizing his importance in the development of the profession of city planning in early twentieth century America and in the formulation of early twentieth century aesthetic theory, especially in the area of urban beautification. Robinson, who has been described as one of the fathers of the City Beautiful movement, was a major figure in fostering the widespread interest in urban aesthetics that followed the Columbian Exposition of 1893. This analytical study of his writings (three books and over fifty articles in a wide variety of publications) and his planning projects for over thirty cities reveals the theoretical and philosophical constructs from which he worked and locates him in the larger context of his time. As a teacher, Robinson contributed to the development of the profession of city planning. From 1913 until his death in 1917, Robinson held the first Chair in Civic Design at the University of Illinois. In addition, Robinson played a pivotal role in the transition from City Beautiful planning to planning less concerned with aesthetics and more concerned with efficient urban function, a phase in planning known as the "City Practical." As a theorist and planner, Robinson was a bridge from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, passing and transforming ideas about America's urban form. |
