Art cannot be created by committee and town planning is clearly an art form. Here Austrian architect Camillo Sitte in 1889 empathically laying out the case against urban planners (referring to the 1874 policy document of the Associated German Architects and Engineers Societies). 
Sitte continues, giving the example of the Romans as successful city planners because they as a people had a clear sense of purpose, of homogeneous culture. Their ritualized laying outs of new towns and cities further helped in recreating this Roman vision in every settlement.
A successfully planned town today would require the steady guidance of a person with a strong artistic vision and a fundamental goal shared by all its citizens. Example of this is the town of Seaside, Florida, under the direction of Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk.
Any good town must impose voluntary restrictions. So far the best that I have discovered are 1. a complete focus on vernacular architecture for all non-public buildings and 2. a clearly defined border (an island, a town wall, a canal, etc.). 3. all buildings are owner occupied.
Camillo Sitte in 1889 correctly spelling out to us the simple fact that modern city planning is completely devoid of love and beauty. When no one can love a city no one will fight for it.
Camillo Sitte in 1889: we have no one to blame but ourselves, for accepting these hideous modern cities when history has blessed us with so many masterpieces of urbanism. How much worse it has become since then!
