NASA's Urban Plan for Space Settlements

"Someday, humanity may build cities in space. If and when that day comes, NASA says they should be exactly what urbanists advocate for here on Earth: walkable, transit-oriented, dense, and inclusive," reports Dan Malouff.

Malouff reaches this conclusion based on the work of a 1977 NASA publication called Space Settlements: A Design Study, "a 155-page book that amounts to a city planning policy guide on what future space colonies should look like."

The book describes orbital civilian habitats—so neither research stations of habitations on other planets.

Malouf's report on the book starts by noting one particular chapter that reads like a comprehensive plan. "There are sections on how much space will be needed for residences, retail, schools, and other land uses, plus transportation and other infrastructure," explains Malouf.