Those of you who stop by this site on a regular basis are likely aware of my interest in cities, urban transit and city planning. These subjects don’t suggest a topic for a children’s book, but in 1937 New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s Committee on City Planning saw an opportunity to get kids interested in what makes their city work. The ABC of City Planning is still fascinating today for urban planning geeks.

The little book opens with this foreword:

CITY PLANNING is not for “Adults Only”. Children of all ages can understand the necessity for a finer, better, safer and
more convenient city. Unless they do understand it, and it becomes as fundamental as the ABC, we can never hope to make
our city the healthful, happy home it should be for our children and our children’s children.

The entire pamphlet is available here, thanks to the Citizens Housing & Planning Council, an NYC housing non-profit.