City and town planning may be defined as the art of planning the physical development of urban communities with the general object of securing healthy and safe living and working conditions providing efficient and convenient forms of circulation and advancing the general public welfare.

Sometime before this new type of city planning had become prevalent or even recognized, the legal foundation for its development had been laid in both USA and Europe.

The growth of municipal consciousness to which this legislation owed its existence was the result of a reaction against the evils and abuses, especially in regard to sanitation, prevalent in most cities during the 19th century. Demand for improved sanitation and control of land development in the suburban areas of cities influenced the form of early city planning legislation.

• control of building development,
  
  
• the increase of facilities for transit,
  
  
• the extension of water supply,
  
  
• the acquisition of land for public open spaces and
  
  
• improvement of methods of sewage disposal.