Library
Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence
We will discuss a book about gun violence, what causes most homicides, where they happen, and how acts of violence could be reduced in American cities. Jens Ludwig is an economics professor, director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab and a longtime researcher into the causes of violence. In our discussion, we will focus…
Fixer-Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems
We will discuss 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. In our discussion, we will focus on housing problems in Urban Atlanta and which…
The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community
“The Great Good Place” is a classic urbanist book about why we need “third places” outside of work and home, for mental health reasons and the good of communities. These places, once so common in American cities, were disappearing when this book was published in 1989. They’ve continued to dwindle in number since. Ray Oldenburg…
Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World
“Key to the City” is a book about how zoning can be reformed so it facilitates the things urbanists value in cities, from density and mixed uses to cycling and walkability. It was written by someone who rewrote a city’s zoning code to do these things. Sara C. Bronin is an architect, land-use attorney and…
Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives
“Curbing Traffic” is about how the Netherlands in general and one city in particular, Delft, created alternatives to driving that were so effective that two-thirds of daily trips are made by transit, on bikes or on foot. The benefits of a “car-light” city are many, the book says, from making life more affordable for families…
Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City
“Urban Jungle” is a book about things we usually see as mutually exclusive: nature and cities. They aren’t as separate as we may think, it tells us. In fact, cities teem today with plant life, insects and wildlife. And for the sake of cities, the book argues argues, we need them to teem even more….
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…