AN APPRAISAL OF URBAN PLANNING

A GENERALIZED VIEW OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS IS PRESENTED. THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION (FHWA) STEWARDSHIP OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS IS REVIEWED. THE CREATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE URBAN PLANNING DIVISION, FEDERAL LEGISLATION, AND THE CHANGING DEMANDS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS WHICH LED TO THE INITIATION BY THE FHWA OF A PROCEDURE FOR ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AS A PREREQUISITE FOR CONTINUED HIGHWAY PROJECT APPROVALS IN URBAN AREAS IS DISCUSSED. THIS CERTIFICATION PROCESS WHICH IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FIELD OFFICERS HAS LED TO IDENTIFICATION OF MANY PROBLEMS AND TO THE CORRECTION OF FLAWS BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. IN REVIEWING THE CURRENT STATUS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, LOCAL/STATE ORGANIZATION, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, SYSTEM PLANNING AND PROJECT PLANNING, EVALUATION OF NON- ENGINEERING CONSEQUENCES, AND THE PROPER SCOPE OF PLANNING ARE OUTLINED. GOALS SET BY THE INTERMODAL PLANNING GROUPS FOR THE NEXT YEAR ARE LISTED.