Savannah was the first city in Georgia and was founded by James Oglethorpe. Planning for the city began on February 12, 1733. Savannah was the first planned city in the "New World." It was planned to be divided into squares as seen above. The debtors that were originally supposed to come here did not come because the people that they owed money to did not let them leave the prison, they were afraid that since they weren't going to be in England anymore that the were never going to get their money back.