In this talk, Professor Ian Morley looks to introduce the importation of modern American urban design practices into the Philippines during the opening decades of the twentieth century fundamentally redefined the environmental form of cities. Although it is acknowledged that the introduction of the City Beautiful model of urban design led to the endorsement of spatial forms dissimilar to what had hitherto existed, not much is currently known about, firstly, why city planning became such a fundamental component of American colonial governance at that time and, secondly, what impact urban design had upon Philippine civilization and the construction of nationhood. Consequently this talk investigates the form and meaning of the first generation of Asian City Beautiful projects implemented prior to 1916 as part of America’s early colonial administration of the Philippines.