City planning allocates the costs and benefits of urban living, and therefore is inherently political. “Contested communities” outlines the development of formal municipal zoning as an alternative to the privatization of desirable land by powerful groups. Zoning quickly became a useful and widely adopted planning tool. It was also a vehicle for racial and economic bias, and some cities are still experiencing its legacy. For many years, city planning neglected women’s safety and travel needs, and women’s contributions to planning were more likely to take place on the ground. What are the alternatives to top-down planning? Can planners replace traditional patterns of gentrification and displacement with urban revitalization?