Ultimately, the phrases “urban planning” and “urban design” become a charade as city builders follow the dotted line defined by the width of the road. “In the United States, the phrase ‘urban planning’ is an indefensible euphemism,” the authors of An Elephant in the Bedroom insist. “Urban planners do not plan. They follow along behind the parade of those who do—the land developers. The role of professional planners is to sweep up and organize the dung.”
