Camillo Sitte and America : a study of the reception of Sitte's ideas in American planning literature

The influence of Camillo Sitte, Austrian architecture and city planning theoretician (1843 - 1903), on planning thought in the U.S. is discussed in this study. Research showed that Sitte appears with increased frequency in the planning literature and is treated specifically by writers who deal with the subject of phenomenology in architecture.

Based on a literature review, this thesis suggests that Sitte had and continuously has a certain impact on planning theory in this country. However, it seems that aside from the sources cited in this study, Sitte's "Artistic Principles" in city building had much larger influence in the U.S. than is provable. This might well be an unconscious, unadmitted impact where the origin is unretrievable.

A comparison of selected projects in the United States with Sitte's teachings is included. They shall not be misunderstood as case studies in the classical sense since prove of derivation with certainty is almost impossible in questions of design. However, the study of examples allows parallels to be drawn between certain design elements and the theories of Sitte.