BOOK REVIEWS
Book Review of "Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change" by Peter Calthorpe
by Christine Cepelak
"Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change" is an extended summary of Peter Calthorpe’s thought leadership in the areas of urban planning and its impacts on the surrounding environment. Arguing the holistic nature of plannin...
Book Review of “Urbanism Without Effort” by Chuck Wolfe
by Colin Poff
Ideas about cities are always changing, but the fundamentals of urban living stand the test of time. "Urbanism Without Effort," written by Seattle native Chuck Wolfe, suggests that we consider the basics when faced with ...
Book Review of “How to Study Public Life” by Jan Gehl & Birgitte Svarre
by Lynn Coppedge
As cities compete to attract new residents and businesses, the importance of vibrant public spaces is undeniable. Organizations like Project for Public Spaces and The Better Block have demonstrated that when communities ...
Book Review of "Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation" by James Kunstler
by Jennifer Garcia
Have people begun to believe that technology can solve all the world’s problems? Author James Howard Kunstler makes this convincing argument in his newest book "Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate ...
Book Review of "Garden Cities: Theory & Practice of Agrarian Urbanism" by Andres Duany
by Jennifer Garcia
Is agriculture the new golf? Former skeptic Andres Duany says it very well could be. I was fortunate enough to hear Duany speak on his book, "Garden Cities: Theory & Practice of Agrarian Urbanism." As usual, he didn'...
Amy Cortese Discusses Hometown Economics In "Locavesting"
by Nick Danty
Amy Cortese’s Locavesting: The Revolution In Local Investing And How To Profit From It is a must-have for anyone interested in small-business financing, economics, or community development. The purpose of the book is to ...
Book Review of "Recent Waterscapes: Planning, Building, and Designing with Water"
by Sunny Menozzi
"Recent Waterscapes: Planning, Building, and Designing with Water" edited by Herbert Dreiseitl and Dieter Grau provides a comprehensive overview of innovative water-related projects throughout the world. The editors a...
A Book Review of "Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space" by Jan Gehl
by Jennifer Garcia
People and buildings are connected – they have been and will continue to be so. "Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space" is a classic that applies substance and quantitative research to the field of urban planning. J...
12 Years Later "How Cities Work" is Still A Must-Read
by Laura Granieri
Though written twelve years ago, "How Cities Work" by Alex Marshall is still highly applicable to cities around the world today. Marshall, a journalist by training, observes cities and shares his findings, oftentimes add...
Book Review of "Charter of the New Urbanism" by Congress for the New Urbanism
by Jennifer Garcia
The Congress for the New Urbanism updated the classic book, long out of print, based on the CNU Charter that was signed in 1996. The Charter itself remains unchanged; this edition of the book simply advances the original...
Self-Made City: Collective Intelligence in Co-housing Projects from Berlin
by Alkisti Eleni Victoratou
In the past, participatory planning used to be regarded as an annoying factor in the already intricate procedures of urban planning. Fortunately, today participation seems to permeate through a variety of city projects. ...
Micro Actions, Macro Changes: A Review for “Handmade Urbanism: From Community Initiatives to Participatory Model”
by Alkisti Eleni Victoratou
During the last few years, there has been a significant shift of interest towards grassroots interventions in the urban realm. A book like Handmade Urbanism: From Community Initiatives to Participatory Model is not just ...