With the three volumes of the "Basel Political Writings" "We Build Our City Ourselves," "Attention: Switzerland," and "The New City," the prominent author trio Lucius Burckhardt, Max Frisch, and Markus Kutter initiated an engaged debate about the perspectives in urban and spatial planning not only in Switzerland but also beyond in the second half of the 1950s. The authors' stated goal was to counteract the urban sprawl that was beginning to take hold at that time. Even today, more than 60 years later, the themes and questions addressed by the three protagonists remain highly relevant. Questions such as "What influence do citizens have on urban planning?" prompted the authors to critically examine the planning tools commonly used at the time, as well as to critique the political and societal contexts.