It was established in 1967 by the second Wilson government as an independent charitable trust for the purpose of advancing education and research in the planning and design of the physical environment.
It began with $750,000 funding from the Ford Foundation and grants from the British government.
[1] The first director was A. H. Chilver, Professor of Civil Engineering in the University of London.
Funding for the centre was withdrawn by the Thatcher government in 1979.
[2] The centre continued for some years as an independent body, closing in the 1980s.