A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve organically.
The term new town refers to planned communities of the new towns movement in particular, mainly in the United Kingdom. It was also common during the European colonization of the Americas to build according to a plan either on fresh ground or on the ruins of earlier Native American villages.
A model city is a type of planned city designed to a high standard and intended as a model for others to imitate. The term was first used in 1854.Oxford English Dictionary, October 2024, entry "model town"
Planned capitals
A planned capital is a city specially planned, designed and built to be a capital. Several of the world's national capitals are planned capitals, including Canberra in Australia, Brasília in Brazil, Belmopan in Belize, New Delhi in India, Abuja in Nigeria, Islamabad in Pakistan, Naypyidaw in Myanmar (Burma), Washington, D.C. in the United States, the modern parts of Astana in Kazakhstan, and Ankara in Turkey. In Indonesia, Nusantara was planned to be inaugurated on 17 August 2024, and in Egypt a new capital city (to the east of Cairo) is under construction. Putrajaya, the federal administrative and judicial centre of Malaysia, is also a planned city.
Abu Dhabi (UAE) and some of the recently built cities in the Persian Gulf region are also planned cities.
Sejong was constructed to be a planned-administrative capital of South Korea.
Africa
Botswana The city of Gaborone was planned and constructed in the 1960s.
Egypt
Company towns
During the construction of the Suez Canal in the 1860s, and after, new towns were planned and built to serve the new international shipping canal. Other smaller company towns were built during the 20th Century to serve oil exploration sites and factories. The larger towns have since been incorporated into mainstream local government.
Port Fuad – Port Said Governorate. Port Tewfik – Suez Governorate Ismailia – Ismailia Governorate Ras Ghareb – Red Sea Mosta'maret al-Mahallah – Gahrbia Kima – Aswan Sahary – Aswan Mosta'maret al-Sad – Aswan
New urban communities
In the late 1970s, it became national policy to construct new desert towns in Egypt, managed by the New Urban Communities Authority. 6th of October (city) – Giza Governorate. 10th of Ramadan (city) – Sharqia Governorate. 15th of May (city) – Cairo Governorate. Badr – Cairo Governorate. New Borg El Arab – Alexandria Governorate. El Shorouk – Cairo Governorate. New Akhmim – Sohag Governorate. New Aswan – Aswan Governorate. New Asyut – Asyut Governorate. New Beni Suef – Beni Suef Governorate. New Cairo – Cairo Governorate. New Damietta – Damietta Governorate. New Fayum – Fayum Governorate. New Nubariya – Beheira Governorate. New Qena – Qena Governorate. New Salhia – Sharqia Governorate. New Tiba – Luxor Governorate. Obour (city) – Qalubyia Governorate. Sheikh Zayed City – Giza Governorate.
NUCs under construction New Administrative Capital – Cairo New Alamein – Matrouh New Ismailia – Ismailia El Galala – Suez (not part of NUCA)
Pre-modern Memphis, Egypt – The first capital of Egypt. It was built by the king Narmer around 3150 B.C. Akhetaten – A city which was built by the King Akhenaten in the 14th century B.C. It was the capital of Egypt in his reign. Pithom – A city was built by the King Ramesses II in the 13th century B.C. Pi-Ramesses – Another city which was built by Ramesses II in the 13th century B.C. It was the capital of Egypt in his reign and it was the first city to exceed 100,000 in history. At its peak, the population of the city was 300,000. Heracleion – A city built in the 7th Century B.C. The city had been a major port in Ancient before it sank. Alexandria – A city built by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. It was the first city to have a population of half million. Ptolemais Hermiou – A city built by Ptolemy I in the 4th century B.C. Berenice Troglodytica – A city built by Ptolemy I in the 3rd century B.C. on the Red Sea Coast. Fustat – A city built by 'Amr ibn al-'As when he conquered Egypt to be its capital around the 7th century A.C. al-Askar – The capital of Egypt during the Tulunide Dynasty. al-Qata'i – Capital of Egypt during the Ikhshid Dynasty. Cairo – It was built in the 10th century A.D. by the Fatimid Caliph Al Muizz.
Equatorial Guinea In 2012, President Teodoro Obiang decided to move the capital to a new jungle site at Oyala.Australian Financial Review, 9 January 2013.
Kenya Konza Technology City is a planned city that is hoped to become a hub of African science and technology upon its completion in 2030.BBC News – Kenya begins construction of 'silicon' city Konza. Bbc.co.uk (23 January 2013). Retrieved on 21 July 2013.
Tatu City is also another planned city located in Kiambu county.
Nigeria The capital, Abuja, is a planned city and was built mainly in the 1980s. Several other cities are under development to accommodate the rapidly growing population, some of which include: Eko Atlantic City, a planned city of Lagos State being constructed on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. Upon completion, the new city which is still under development, is anticipating 250,000 residents and a daily flow of 150,000 commuters. Centenary City, in the Federal Capital Territory, is another planned smart city under development. The city is designed to become a major tourist attraction to the country. A list of Nigerian cities and neighbourhoods that went through a form of planning are as follows: Abuja, one of the most populous planned cities, and the fastest growing city in the world. Banana Island, an affluent neighbourhood in Ikoyi, Lagos, Lagos State Bonny Island in Rivers State Centenary City in the Federal Capital Territory Eko Atlantic in Lagos State Festac Town in Lagos, Lagos State FESTAC Phase 2, the next phase for Festac has been proposed. Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State Lekki, a new city in Lagos State Lekki Free Zone, a free trade zone in the Lekki Orange Island, a planned real estate development in Lekki. Victoria Island in Lagos, Lagos State
Senegal Akon City, the nation's first planned city, co-planned by the Senegalese-American singer Akon.
South Africa A number of cities were set up during the apartheid-era for a variety of ethnic groups. Planned settlements set up for white inhabitants included Welkom, Sasolburg and Secunda. Additionally the majority of settlements in South Africa were planned in their early stages and the original town centres still lie in a grid street fashion. Some settlements were also set up for non-whites such as the former homeland capital of Bisho.
Asia
Azerbaijan Sumqayit was planned as an industrial city to support the Soviet Union's petrochemical industry. It became one of Azerbaijan's major industrial centers, housing factories and workers' residential areas. Mingachevir was established in the 1940s as a planned city to serve as the center for Azerbaijan's hydroelectric power production, hosting the Mingachevir Hydroelectric Power Station, one of the largest in the country. Ganja (city) underwent urban planning during the Soviet period, with the development of modern infrastructure including residential and commercial districts, along with the expansion of industrial facilities to support the growing population. Shirvan was developed as an industrial city, with a focus on chemical and agricultural industries. The city's growth was part of the Soviet-era initiative to establish more industrial hubs in Azerbaijan. Gabala, once a small town, is undergoing urbanization with modern infrastructure projects aimed at transforming it into a major tourist and cultural center while still preserving its natural surroundings. Khirdalan, located near Baku, was developed as a satellite city to ease the population pressure in the capital. The city has seen significant growth with new residential areas and local amenities.
Hong Kong
The terrains of Hong Kong are mostly mountainous and many places in the New Territories have limited access to roads. Hong Kong started developing new towns in the 1950s, to accommodate rapidly growing populations. In the early days the term "satellite towns" was used. The very first new towns included Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong. Wah Fu Estate was built in a remote corner on Hong Kong Island, with similar concepts in a smaller scale.
In the late 1960s and the 1970s, another stage of new town developments was launched. Nine new towns have been developed to date. Land use is carefully planned and development provides plenty of room for public housing projects. Rail transport is usually available at a later stage. The first towns are Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O. Tuen Mun was intended to be self-reliant, but was not successful at the beginning and maintained as a dormitory town up until the recent decades like the other new towns. More recent developments are Tin Shui Wai and North Lantau. The government also plans to build such towns in Hung Shui Kiu, Ping Che-Ta Kwu Ling, Fanling North and Kwu Tung North. At present, there are a total of nine new towns: Tsuen Wan New Town Sha Tin New Town Tuen Mun New Town Tai Po New Town Fanling-Sheung Shui New Town Yuen Long New Town Tseung Kwan O New Town Tin Shui Wai New Town North Lantau New Town
Indonesia
Jakarta Batavia (predecessor of modern Jakarta) was a planned city, modeled after Dutch 17th century coastal city architecture. First, in the 17th century as a planned fortified city, crisscrossed with Dutch-style canals dug in regular grid. The city served as the administrative center of Dutch East India Company. In the early 19th century, the Dutch colonial authority moved their administrative center from the dilapidated and unhealthy port town of Old Batavia (now Kota area) several kilometres south to Weltevreden area (now Central Jakarta). Old Batavia and Weltevreden were connected by the Molenvliet Canal and a road (now Gajah Mada Road) that ran alongside the waterway. It was a well-planned community around the Koningsplein, the Waterlooplein and Rijswijk (Jalan Veteran). The area, then known as Weltevreden, which include the Koningsplein, Rijswijk, Noordwijk, Tanah Abang, Kebon Sirih, and Prapatan became a popular residential, entertainment and commercial district for the European colonial elite. Menteng, today a sub-district in Central Jakarta, was first built as a well-planned community. An urban design developed in the 1910s set the area to become a residential area for Dutch people and high officials. At the time of its development, the area was the first planned garden suburb in colonial Batavia. Supported by easy access to service centers and nearby to the central business district, this area has become one of the most expensive areas for residential real estate in modern Jakarta. In the early 20th century, Bandung was planned by the Dutch East Indies government as a new capital city to replace Batavia. The idea was to separate the busy trading port or the commercial center (Batavia) from the new administrative and political center (Bandung). By the 1920s the plan to transfer the capital to Bandung was underway. As the city began to laid the master plan of a well-planned new city, grid of streets and avenues were laid, and numbers of government buildings were constructed, such as Gedung Sate that was planned as the colonial administrative center of Dutch East Indies. The plan, however, failed due to the Great Depression and the outbreak of the Second World War.