City Planning Releases New ABCs of City Planning Children’s Book, First Update in Nearly 90 Years

Images Courtesy of DCP

New edition of book introduces new topics like micromobility and neighborhood planning

Book will be available for free at a variety of summer events and reflects DCP’s continued commitment to making planning accessible to New Yorkers of all ages

Department of City Planning (DCP) announced the release of the ABCs of City Planning, a new and updated edition of the children’s book first published by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s Committee on City Planning in 1937. The book shares the building blocks of city planning, such as “D is for Density” and “S is for Sustainability,” making it easier for children to understand how their city is shaped and how they can play a role in its future. Free printed copies will be available at an upcoming New York Public Library children’s read-along and at Summer Streets events organized by the Department of Transportation (NYC DOT).

DCP Executive Director Edith Hsu-Chen rediscovered the original 1937 book in the agency’s archives years ago, which helped inspire the creation of a new edition for today’s young New Yorkers. Staff from across DCP developed the updated book collaboratively, writing its poems and creating illustrations that were collaged by hand and then digitally recreated.

The book will be available for free at a variety of events this summer, including a family read-along led by Executive Director Hsu-Chen at the New York Public Library’s Washington Heights branch at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 1. Copies will also be available for the first 100 people to visit DCP’s table at upcoming NYC DOT Summer Streets events, held across all five boroughs in July and August. The book will soon be available for checkout through The New York Public Library.

The release of the ABCs of City Planning is the latest youth engagement initiative from DCP. In April, 73 Bronx high school seniors graduated from the agency’s Young Voices in Planning program, the fifth year of the collaboration between DCP and The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology. Later that month, DCP and NYC Her Future debuted a new afterschool workshop series, “Young Voices in Planning: Design Her City,” to equip high school students of color with the tools to better understand and shape the future of their neighborhoods. In June, DCP and NYC Her Future hosted the first-ever Youth Planning Summit, bringing together high school students from all five boroughs to learn about planning and public engagement concepts.

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the future of New York City, working to create thriving and dynamic neighborhoods with access to housing and jobs, resilient infrastructure, and a vibrant public realm. The Department engages communities to develop inclusive plans, expands housing access and economic opportunity, and plans for long-term sustainability.

DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of hundreds of land use applications. The Department also advises on citywide strategic and capital planning, analyzes data, conducts policy analysis, and creates open data and civic engagement tools.