Mormon Town Planning: Physical and Social Relevance

Abstract

The Plat of the City of Zion, designed in 1833, was the brainchild of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It embodied the Mormons’ desire to build a new kingdom for their people, distinct from mainstream American culture. The resulting pattern is a unique combination of local and foreign precedents. Salt Lake City, a paradigmatic example of this scheme, became the model for surrounding settlements, defining the urban pattern of a segment of the West. The later explosive growth of Utah’s capital, and its departure from the original model, transformed one of the pioneering urban experiences of the United States. The physical boundaries of this planning tradition, and the limited general understanding of its use, make it still a rather unique urban phenomenon.