Library
Abundance
This is a book about why we should move political discussions from battles over scarcity toward something more positive, which is how we could have an abundance of the things that make life better. The book ranges into national politics, but the issues urbanists care about, from housing affordability and homelessness to public transit, are…
Fixer-Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems
“Fixer-Upper” is a book about our dysfunctional housing market, what caused rents and homeownership costs to become so unaffordable, and what can be done to fix things. Jenny Schuetz is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metro research program. The big ideas for Urban Atlanta:
Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing
“Brave New Home” is a book about why suburban single-family housing no longer works as well for families as it once did. It suggests alternatives that are healthier, better for the environment and more affordable, and outlines what it would take to move from a “default housing type” to a variety of housing options. Diana…
The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class—And What We Can Do About It
“The New Urban Crisis” is a book about growing inequality and isolation in cities and how greater social, educational and economic opportunity can and should be created. The author suggests ambitious reforms at the federal, state and local levels. Florida is an economics professor and author of a popular 2002 book, “The Rise of the…
Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World
“Paved Paradise” is about parking’s impact on city life and urban design, how it came to have such a large influence, and the prospects for change. It asks: Why have we devoted so much land to the exclusive use of idle vehicles? Are there better ways of using this land? The big ideas for Urban…
Blighted: A Story of People, Politics, and an American Housing Miracle
“Blighted” is a book about the effort to create safe, decent, affordable housing for the working poor, told from an unusual perspective: that of a well-motivated landlord. It focuses on the purchase and renovation of a large apartment complex in south Atlanta. The big ideas for Urban Atlanta:
Golden Gates: The Housing Crisis and a Reckoning for the American Dream
“Golden Gates” is a book about the housing affordability crisis in the San Francisco Bay area, what caused it and the efforts there to undo the damage. We discussed how to prevent a similar crisis in Urban Atlanta, while dealing with our own affordability issues. The big ideas for Urban Atlanta: