Planning histories and the environmental turn

To what extent are planning histories influenced by the environmental turn currently affecting many areas of research related to the transformation of planetary landscapes? This question is particularly relevant when considering that cities and plans are not always central in recent studies on the origins of the environmental crisis. The paper reviews a few recent and less recent historiographical trends to argue that planning histories have the potential to play a more significant role within environmental history discourses. Two strategies–both rooted in consolidated research traditions of planning history–are evoked as potentially worth exploring: first, creatively revisiting said traditions, moving from the assumption that an environmental perspective can elicit critical discussions on the relevance and interpretation of the existing canon. Second, opening a debate on the tasks and definitions of planning history, as scholars in the field are well positioned to advocate for a re-negotiation of the object and boundaries of a number of research specializations, including their own.