Early Mormon Community Planning

Abstract

According to Mormon doctrine, remnants of the Ten Lost Tribes would gather in America—the location of Zion. To accommodate this return, a series of new towns was platted in the Midwest, reflecting in their design the doctrinal beliefs and the cultural patterns of Mormon life. Preceding Ebenezer Howard's formulation of the garden cities idea by 65 years, the similarity between the two conceptions is remarkable, suggesting that the new towns of Britain may have been initially conceived in America.