The Libraries seek to support research in areas related to aspects of the economic, social, political, ecological and especially physical process of urban planning, with particular emphasis on physical and social planning in very large cities and comparative urbanization. Housing, urban land markets, and environmental planning are among the subjects covered. It supports the needs of undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, post-docs, and visiting researchers.

New courses include the global restructuring of the built environment that is under way in large, mature cities in the U.S. and abroad. This global restructuring encompasses the study of the transformation of the economic, demographic, social, technological, and environmental forces governing urban development.

Areas of established specialization are New York City housing and urban development; Third World urbanization; city history and general city planning; urban growth and restructuring; land use and zoning; parks and open space planning; community development; urban renewal; urban transportation; regional planning.

Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection, its current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collecting goal for urban planning are all at the research level.

1. Formats collected: We collect monographs, reference tools and periodicals extensively and annuals, dissertations, maps, scholarly series, and textbooks selectively.
2. Imprint Dates Collected: We collect current publications and earlier twentieth-century materials extensively. Older materials are not collected.
3. Chronological Focus: We collect materials focusing on current and 20^th century research topics extensively and 19^th and earlier century topics selectively.
4. Languages Collected: We collect English language materials extensively and Western European materials selectively.
5. Place of Publication: We collect North American and British materials extensively and materials published in Western Europe selectively. All others are included selectively.