“Classic Urban Planning”: 30 Spot-On Memes That Highlight The Absurdity Of Modern City Planning

You know those memes about ‘the world if x didn’t exist’? That picture of a futuristic-looking city with flying cars, skyscrapers, and green zones. And while it’s an image that probably comes to a lot of us when we think of a ‘future city,’ the ideal cities might have different guiding principles from what we imagine.At least, that’s what I learned from scrolling through the content ofPlanning Peeps. It’s a Facebook group for and about the planners of urban spaces. They advocate for better city infrastructure and better urban planning solutions through humor and memes. Thanks to them, I also learned about missing middle housing. Curious to know more? Scroll away, and don’t forget to upvote your favorite picks!Bored Pandareached out to the creator of the page, and they were kind enough to answer a few questions for our readers. You can find our short chat with them below!This post may includeaffiliate links.

At least, that’s what I learned from scrolling through the content ofPlanning Peeps. It’s a Facebook group for and about the planners of urban spaces. They advocate for better city infrastructure and better urban planning solutions through humor and memes. Thanks to them, I also learned about missing middle housing. Curious to know more? Scroll away, and don’t forget to upvote your favorite picks!

Bored Pandareached out to the creator of the page, and they were kind enough to answer a few questions for our readers. You can find our short chat with them below!

This post may includeaffiliate links.

House with a red roofed boat storage acting as a patio cover, highlighting absurd urban planning.

“‘Planning Peeps’ is just one person making original planning memes to introduce planning topics [to] anyone who is interested and provide comedic relief for urban planning professionals and students,” the creator of the page tells Bored Panda.The person behind the page says that they simply wanted to create a community for urban planning professionals and students and the general public alike. “The memes are intended to inform about urban planning topics and to simplify concepts through humor,” the admin says. Well, they’ve been going strong since 2015, so don’t hesitate to give them a follow if you like what you see here, Pandas!

The person behind the page says that they simply wanted to create a community for urban planning professionals and students and the general public alike. “The memes are intended to inform about urban planning topics and to simplify concepts through humor,” the admin says. Well, they’ve been going strong since 2015, so don’t hesitate to give them a follow if you like what you see here, Pandas!

Car-oriented static area vs. people-oriented dynamic street, highlighting absurdity in urban planning.

Meme highlighting absurd city planning with aerial view of winding suburban streets and text about going to play outside.

I’ll admit, I’ve played my fair share ofSimCity. I honestly used to love it, but there was a common problem that I would run into. When my cities got big, I would just give up because it would become too hard to manage, and I’d go play someRollercoaster Tycooninstead. I had to worry about the city budget and deal with the constant congestion of the streets and the unhappy Sims – it was just all too much.Only now, when I Google ‘How do I get better at SimCity,’ I see that it might’ve been pretty simple. Starting small, planning ahead, and keeping the citizens happy are just some starting points for creating a decent city. Interestingly, the same principles apply to city planning in real life. After all, it’s a simulation game, so isn’t it supposed to reflect life?

Only now, when I Google ‘How do I get better at SimCity,’ I see that it might’ve been pretty simple. Starting small, planning ahead, and keeping the citizens happy are just some starting points for creating a decent city. Interestingly, the same principles apply to city planning in real life. After all, it’s a simulation game, so isn’t it supposed to reflect life?

Four memes illustrating classic urban planning with unconventional paths like elephant, desire, pig trail, and others.

Classic urban planning meme showing cars parked haphazardly in suburban neighborhoods.

Two-panel image contrasting school commutes; vintage walking vs modern traffic, highlighting urban planning issues.

So, let’s go back to missing middle housing and how it’s related to making cities better. When looking through the content on ‘Planning Peeps,’ one might think that the biggest sin in urban planning is the suburbs and their single-family homes. The term ‘missing middle housing’ belongs to architect Daniel Parolek. He coined it in 2010, describing the types of houses built in 1940s America.What types in particular? Row houses (also called terraced houses), two-flats that one can see in Chicago, triple-deckers in Boston, and California’s bungalow courts. And why are they middle housing?“Most people consider single-family homes as small-scale housing and apartment buildings as large scale. I’m saying that what’s in between those two extremes is ‘missing,'“Parolek explained. “It’s missing because we haven’t built a lot of them in the last 60 to 70 years, partly because of zoning barriers.”

What types in particular? Row houses (also called terraced houses), two-flats that one can see in Chicago, triple-deckers in Boston, and California’s bungalow courts. And why are they middle housing?

“Most people consider single-family homes as small-scale housing and apartment buildings as large scale. I’m saying that what’s in between those two extremes is ‘missing,'“Parolek explained. “It’s missing because we haven’t built a lot of them in the last 60 to 70 years, partly because of zoning barriers.”

Two men discussing urban planning, highlighting modernization’s absurdity and its impact on community connections.

A roundabout with traffic signs and a police officer holding a radar gun, illustrating classic urban planning humor.

Man at a podium pointing at a TV image of a sidewalk, highlighting absurd urban planning in a meme format.

And why are these the superior types of houses? First, they make neighborhoods walkable and more sustainable. When people live and work in walkable communities, they’re lifestyles are automatically more environmentally friendly. Small retail also can flourish in these types of cities. Big-box stores are usually clustered in retail parks, which is a characteristic of the American suburb.

Urban planning memes depict pedestrian protection bollards and a car accident at an intersection.

“Classic urban planning meme contrasts a basic commercial street with a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly area."

Aerial view showcasing classic urban planning with winding roads and houses arranged around cul-de-sacs.

“Missing middle housing should be part of a compact, walkable neighborhood that has commercial amenities such as restaurants and small businesses,” Parolek explained further. “There are huge environmental benefits for this kind of housing, too. We’re using less land and reducing greenhouse gas emissions — and we’re getting people out of their cars.”

Aerial view of inefficient parking lot design highlighting modern city planning issues.

A smiling driver in a red hat with a caption humorously critiquing classic urban planning and street layout.

Shapes labeled Pentagon, Hexagon, and Octagon; a meme contrasts city street before and after cars are removed. Classic urban planning.

The current auto-centric city planning in America also marks the loss of third places. ‘Third places,’ as the term’s creator, sociologist Ray Oldenberg, explained, refer to places for social gathering aside from the two usual social environments: the home and the workplace. The simplest examples are bars, parks, cafes, bookshops, hair salons, and other places where the community comes to hang out.

Snow blocking a bike lane with a meme questioning modern city planning absurdity.

Two houses contrasting classic urban planning, highlighting city planning absurdity.

Urban planners meme showing different expressions: serious in the office, smiling at the public meeting.

But why are these third places important? Experts say that they’re essential to our mental health and wellbeing. Researcher Dr. T. Panovaclaimsthat these places should be a matter of public health. “While work and home impose roles and responsibilities on us, like tasks we must do, relationships we need to manage, and stressors we have to handle, the third place is somewhere we can go to unwind without being expected to engage in any specific behavior.”

Urban planning meme featuring a humorous conversation about becoming an urban planner for a love of maps.

Empty parking lot highlights absurdity of classic urban planning, with text about parking minimums and progress.

Man overhears conversation on urban planning, appearing surprised in a restaurant setting.

Brick wall with text meme highlighting the absurdity of modern city planning, mentioning preservationists’ views on buildings.

Meme comparing an unfinished dirt road with a narrow dirt path, highlighting absurd urban planning issues.

Urbanists meme satirizing modern city planning, comparing electric car and public transit preferences humorously.

One might argue that the Internet is a place. Can’t it operate as a third space as well? Well, as Dr. Alex Danvers told Bored Panda ina previous interview: “Being around people for longer is related to being more satisfied with your life.” He says that real-life socializing might be more demanding, but it is more rewarding at the same time. “I’d think of online socializing as sort of the ‘lite’ version,” Danvers said.“That may be nice to do when you’re feeling tired or burnt out, but it’s also not going to give you the full experience of connecting with another person. To have really satisfying connections, you do need to put in the effort of navigating the more complicated world of in-person interactions.”

“That may be nice to do when you’re feeling tired or burnt out, but it’s also not going to give you the full experience of connecting with another person. To have really satisfying connections, you do need to put in the effort of navigating the more complicated world of in-person interactions.”

Meme on urban planning showing a heated argument about roundabouts during a football game.

Cartoon characters discussing city planning; expect public transportation but receive car infrastructure.

Characters discussing oversized streets and parking lots, highlighting classic urban planning absurdity.

So, how does it all come back to city planning? When and why did we lose our third places? Experts point to the beginning of the 20th century. The suburbs flourished, and the highways started running through neighborhoods. Public transport, walking, or biking became unpopular, and so, bike lanes, sidewalks, and good public transport systems became obsolete.As city planner Paul Stout explained ina TikTok, “American cities were basically hollowed out throughout the ’70s, and any semblance of walkability or public transit was quickly lost.”

As city planner Paul Stout explained ina TikTok, “American cities were basically hollowed out throughout the ’70s, and any semblance of walkability or public transit was quickly lost.”

“Group humorously discusses urban planning with a ‘Not in My Backyard’ sign, highlighting modern city planning issues."

Meme of distracted boyfriend labeled “Architecture” looking at “Urban Planning” instead of “College Sophomores."

Split image comparing modern city planning: highways versus green urban design dreams.

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That’s a whole lot of doom and gloom, you might think. But don’t worry, there are efforts to bring walkable cities back.79% of Americanssay that being able to walk to places in their neighborhood is an important factor when choosing a home. Andsome companiesare trying to bring walkable neighborhoods back. Maybe it’s not so far off in the future that the people will get what they want.

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