Library
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
We will discuss a classic book about urbanism, the 1961 book that inspired the New Urbanism movement of the 1980s. It was a warning to city leaders in the 1960s that they were destroying their cities under the guise of rescuing them, and a detailed alternative approach that was based on streets, neighborhoods and the…
The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet
“The 15-Minute City” is a plea for urban leaders to rethink how neighborhoods work. The change it advocates: Bring nearly everything people need for daily life within a 15-minute walk, bike ride or bus ride, including housing, work, shopping, health care, education and entertainment. If we did this, the book argues, neighborhoods and cities would…
Arrival City: How the Largest Migration in History Is Reshaping Our World
“Arrival City” shows us how migrants come to cities around the world, what they experience as they move from rural villages, and what they need in order to be successful in the transition. The places they settle are neighborhoods the author calls “arrival cities.” Doug Saunders is a journalist at Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper….
Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time
“Walkable City” explains why cities should create and grow walkable places, and how it can be done. Walkable downtowns and neighborhoods, the book argues, are the key to healthy, prosperous, affordable and appealing cities, and make other urbanist goals, like transit, mixed uses, bike lanes and density possible. Jeff Speck is a city planner who…
The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America
“The Fight to Save the Town” is about how some cities and towns, faced with unrelenting poverty and abandonment, have fought back by creating unexpected grassroots strengths and new citizen networks. The “big ideas” for Urban Atlanta:
Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life
“Palaces for the People” is about how public places can shape neighborhoods so that people become better connected. And these connections, in turn, make neighborhoods safer, healthier, more prosperous and more resilient. The “big ideas” for Urban Atlanta:
Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It
“Arbitrary Lines” is about the damage done to cities and neighborhoods by zoning. The “big ideas” for Urban Atlanta: