BOOK REVIEWS
Books are important. CharacterTowns.org selects and discusses current publications and works from previous generations that still hold wisdom for contemporary city-building. The review also includes published reviews and Youtube links to discussions by or about the author. Books are selected from the attached Suggested Readings.
“American Urbanist: How William H. Whyte’s Unconventional Wisdom Reshaped Public Life” by Richard K. Rein
From Amazon… “On an otherwise normal weekday in the 1980s, commuters on busy Route 1 in central New Jersey noticed […]
“Arbitrary Lines” by M. Nolan Gray
From Island Press…“What if scrapping one flawed policy could bring US cities closer to addressing debilitating housing shortages, stunted growth […]
“Arrival City, How the Largest Migration in History Reshaped Our World” by Doug Saunders
Arrival City has many instructive ideas for the immigration-driven discussion today; and for those who plan cities. The U.S. used to […]
“Babbitt” by Sinclair Lewis
From CT.org… The New York Times recently reviewed Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis under the subtitle: “The Novelist Who Saw Middle […]
“Backdoor Revolution: The Definitive Guide to ADU Development” by Kol Peterson
From CT.org Missing Middle Housing, a term invented by Dan Parolek [ https://islandpress.org/books/missing-middle-housing], has expanded the conversation about how people […]
“Better Together, Restoring the American Community” by Robert D. Putnam and Lewis M. Feldstein.
“In his national best-seller Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam decried the collapse of America’s social institutions. But while traveling to promote […]
“Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning” by Timothy Beatley
FROM AMAZON… “Tim Beatley has long been a leader in advocating for the ‘greening’ of cities. But too often, he […]
“Building A Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America” by Quint Studer
From Amazon… Vibrant Communities don’t just happen; they’re built. This book is your blueprint. “Every community wants to become a great […]
“Categorically Unequal: The American Stratification System” by Douglas S. Massey
From Amazon…“The United States holds the dubious distinction of having the most unequal income distribution of any advanced industrialized nation. […]
“City Hall: Masterpieces of American Civic Architecture” by Arthur Drooker
FROM AMAZON…City Hall is the first book to feature striking contemporary images of the most architecturally significant city halls in […]