Library
Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives
We will discuss a book about how the Netherlands in general and one Dutch city in particular, Delft, became so effective at creating alternatives to automobile travel, and why having so many people on foot, on bikes and on transit makes Delft so desirable. Melissa Bruntlett and Chris Bruntlett are a Canadian couple who moved…
Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City
We will discuss a book about things we usually see as mutually exclusive: nature and cities. They aren’t as separate as we may think. In fact, cities teem today with plant life, insects and wildlife. And for the sake of cities, the author argues, we need them to teem even more. Ben Wilson is a…
How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World
“How Infrastructure Works” shows us the infrastructure systems we depend on and helps us see their challenges and opportunities. The greatest challenge: adapting these systems to climate change as we transition them to renewable energy. As the book makes clear, new energy sources are within our grasp and will bring enormous benefits. Deb Chachra is…
Urbanism Without Effort: Reconnecting with First Principles of the City
“Urbanism Without Effort” cautions urbanists not to get carried away by urban design concepts and public policies. It’s because, the book warns, while mixed uses, transit-oriented design and bike lanes may be helpful and even necessary, they aren’t sufficient to make cities come to life. What is needed? Basically, the unplanned parts of cities, the…
Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time
“Fragile Neighborhoods” is a book with a warning: American society is unraveling. But it offers a way out. We can undo much of the damage, the book says, if we create more resilient neighborhoods. And the secret to resilience is creating places that connect people and encourage cooperation among neighbors. One of the book’s examples…
Bicycle City: Riding the Bike Boom to a Brighter Future
“Bicycle City” is a book about how bikes can serve as “intermediaries” in helping cities move from car-created sprawl toward something more desirable: walkable, transit-oriented, “people-centric” communities. Good news, the author says: Thanks to innovations like e-bikes and cargo bikes, the transition can be fairly rapid. Dan Piatkowski is an American-born professor of urban planning…
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 Pool Is Closed: Segregation, Summertime, and the Search for a Place to Swim
“The Pool Is Closed: Segregation, Summertime, and the Search for a Place to Swim” is a book about how children learn to swim and grow into adults who enjoy swimming—and why this can be difficult for urban children today. Reason: There are not enough public swimming pools. As you’ll learn, there once were more public…
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
“The Death and Life of Great American Cities” is a classic book about urbanism. It warned city leaders in 1961 that they were killing cities through their efforts to build highways, demolish old neighborhoods and construct public housing projects. And it described in detail what actually makes neighborhoods and cities safe and successful. The essential…
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…