People Places: Design Guidlines for Urban Open Space, 2nd Edition

Book Description

people places Second Edition Design Guidelines for Urban Open Space edited by Clare Cooper Marcus and Carolyn Francis A resurgence in the use of public space continues throughout North America and many other parts of the world. Neighborhoods have become more outspoken in their demands for appropriate park designs; corporations have witnessed the value of providing outdoor spaces for employee lunch-hour use; the rising demand for child care has prompted increased awareness of the importance of developmentally appropriate play and learning environments; and increased attention is being focused on the specific outdoor space needs for the elderly, college students, and hospital patients and staff. Now available in an updated, expanded second edition, People Places is a fully illustrated, award-winning book that offers research-based guidelines and recommendations for creating more usable and enjoyable public open spaces of all kinds. People Places analyzes and summarizes existing research on how urban open spaces are actually used, offering design professionals and students alike an easily understood, easily applied guide to creating people-friendly places. Seven types of urban open space are discussed: urban plazas, neighborhood parks, miniparks and vest-pocket parks, campus outdoor spaces, outdoor spaces in housing for the elderly, child-care outdoor spaces, and hospital outdoor spaces. People Places contains a chapter-by-chapter review of the literature, illustrative case studies, and design guidelines specific to each type of space. People Places has a number of features that can be easily incorporated into the design process:

Clear, readable translations of existing research on people's use of outdoor spaces.
Performance-based design recommendations that specify key relationships between design and use.
Design review checklists that help readers plan and critique designs.
A clearly organized, concise format equally useful to the design practitioner and the design student.

The newly revised edition of People Places also includes:

Discussion of accessibility issues, including ADA regulations and the concept of universal design; and of design responses aimed at crime reduction.
Procedures for conducting post-occupancy evaluations of designed outdoor spaces.
Updated and new information on each type of outdoor space, with special attention to hospitals, child care facilities, and campus outdoor spaces where specific advances have occurred since 1990.
A completely new color-photo section and 50 new black and white illustrations.

Winner of the Merit Award in Communication from the American Society of Landscape Architects, People Places is an essential working tool for landscape architects and architects, city planners, urban designers, neighborhood groups, and anyone else concerned with the quality of urban open space.

Customer Reviews:

If you are a not a specialist, this book is great........2000-03-25

I read this book as part of a research project I was doing about the design of college campuses. I found it to be extremely helpful in my project and I plan on refering to it in the future; I am pursuing a Master's of Landscape Architecture. What I liked about this book is two-fold:

1. Each chapter is a self-contained guide to designing a plaza, park, campus, or playground with people in mind. This important to me becuase I try to focus my designs around the people who will be using them. Each chapter gives useful design tips and helps about the given topic.

2. This book was academic while remaining readable. The authors refer to studies relevent to the topic at hand, but do not become bogged down in theoretical nonsense.

I recommend buying it to anyone who would like a well-organized general design reference book. I would not recommend it to anyone who needs in depth information on any specific topic covered in the book. Check it out from the library if that is your intent.

The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community
Average customer rating:

"The survival of the coffeehouse depends upon its ability to meet present day needs..."

Can Great Good Places exist in today's world? (4.2 *s)

Think, eat, drink, act, buy local....

Finding a Great Good Place

Rebuttal to Lance Mertz's Review

The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community
Ray Oldenburg
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Rural | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Celebrating the Third Place: Inspiring Stories About the "Great Good Places" at the Heart of Our Communities

Brand Lands, Hot Spots & Cool Spaces: Welcome to the Third Place and the Total Marketing Experience

Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community

City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village, Revised Edition

Better Together: Restoring the American Community

ASIN: 1569246815

Book Description

The Great Good Place argues that "third places" - where people can gather, put aside the concerns of work and home, and hang out simply for the pleasures of good company and lively conversation - are the heart of a community's social vitality and the grassroots of democracy.

Customer Reviews:

"The survival of the coffeehouse depends upon its ability to meet present day needs...".......2007-04-06

The project of The Great Good Place is to demonstrate why public spaces-- particularly gathering spaces-- are essential to the health of the community. It is an interesting and attractive thesis-- one that will speak clearly to most of his intended audience. Who does not harbor a nostalgia (even if an inherited nostalgia) for the town pub or the "place where everybody knows your name"?

Oldenburg does a good job building his case. He looks at characteristics and benefits of third places and then chooses examples from history and other cultures to illustrate the ideas.

A friend of mine remarked that The Great Good Place was one good idea repeated over and over again for 300 page. Not entirely fair, but there is some truth to it. The book also suffers from being oversold. For instance, the publisher's subtitle implies that hair salons are part of the topics that are covered. In fact, they are barely even mentioned. I suppose that the publicity that this relatively academic text made it nearly irrestistible for the publishing house to try to spice things up for the average reader.

Honestly, three stars might be the most fair rating for the book. In addition to what feels like some occasionally thin material, I feel that the author elides or ignores the potential negatives of his third places. All the same, I ended up rating it four stars because I generally agreed with his ideas. That agreement made me predisposed to enjoy it. So for me, the fourth star is because I found it pleasant to read.

Recommended for people with an interest in the social value of public spaces.

Can Great Good Places exist in today's world? (4.2 *s).......2006-08-09

This book is a heartfelt and nostalgic lament at the loss of vibrant local communities and the disappearance and exclusion of the various shops and places that facilitate the spontaneous, daily neighborhood interactions that are essential for viable communities. As the author notes, American society has undergone tremendous changes since WWII: sprawling suburbanization, an automobile culture, and reliance on home entertainment, mainly television. The isolating tendency of these developments is reinforced by planners and zoning commissions that do not permit neighborhood hangouts like taverns, cafes, and the like to be located near developments of "dream" homes with their sculpted lawns.

He calls community enhancing places "third" places because they fall just behind the home and workplaces in terms of time spent, though in his estimation are no less important. They are a necessary complement to domestic and work lives. He discusses the general nature of "third" places, as well as specific examples, including European pubs, sidewalk cafes, and coffee houses. Several characteristics are generally found in "third" places. The places are inclusive; titles and status are checked at the door. They are usually unpretentious buildings without a lot of distractions that detract from conversation and camaraderie. The same-sex nature of most such places eliminates self-conscious formalities of dress and behavior. According to the author, one could hardly exaggerate the benefits that both individuals and communities derive from gathering in "third" places. The enhancements to a viable democracy are especially noted.

Virtually all "third" places have disappeared from the American scene; they have not been a part of new development since WWII. The German beer gardens and vibrant small town streets long ago vanished. Now taverns, coffee shops, and the like, often located in strip malls, are populated with strangers having arrived via automobile, not to mention the prevalence of loud music and other diversions that further inhibit conversation. A larger social tendency is to simply remain encapsulated at home surrounded by technical gadgetry like HDTVs, DVD players, computers, iPods, CD players, etc. This circumscribed, isolated world must bring smiles of joy to the automotive, oil, real estate, finance, and construction industries as well as the huge consumer goods suppliers. It's difficult to see how broader democratic views necessary for our society will be developed in these restricted, lonely environments with only the simplistic, if not misinforming, patter of the corporate media available.

The notion of close communities is hardly an unequivocal good. The author scarcely acknowledges that communities can be highly coercive, requiring strict adherence to prevailing community practice, and exclusionary to those who differ in some manner. It is doubtful that the open-minded, gregarious men of the author's communities are as ubiquitous as he implies. However, there is no doubt of the severe ramifications to both individuals and the larger society in the near total absence of active communities. Furthermore, the author's forays into the psychology of the sexes and the desirability of separation in relation to his third places seem flawed.

There will be no return to main streets in small towns and urban neighborhoods associated with manufacturing where the residents worked and associated with each other on and off the job. Today's reality is the complete divorce of place of residence from workplace locales, not to mention the 24/7 nature of work with extended hours. Workplaces can and do take on some of the characteristics of the author's "third" places, though his caution concerning power differentials in workplaces is not to be taken lightly. Likewise, voluntary associations, including churches, and the vast array of activities associated with raising children afford opportunities for socialization, though generally falling well short of the open ideal that the author postulates.

The residents of the communities of the past were not wiser than we are today. They did not plan their communities. The communities were a result of population size, and the co-location of homes and work. They had no political power to define their communities, but it was not particularly needed. But that lack of or eschewing of political power is entirely inadequate in this era of vast trans-national corporations dominating nearly every facet of our lives, including those aspects that define communities or the lack thereof. It is a fallacious claim that we do not have a "planned" economy, as though that happens only under socialism - the fact is, we do. The suburbanization of America, the vast highway network, the rise of the gasoline-powered automobile, and dominance of vast media empires supported by gadget manufacturers are due to the private planning of huge corporations. But these private acts have profound public and social consequences, yet citizen input is never requested or in some cases is suppressed by various means. Community enhancing measures will never again just happen. The exercise of political power will be required. But of course that assumes that a sizeable percentage of the citizenry understands what community requires, actually wants community, understands the obstacles, and is willing to back candidates in sufficient numbers and locations to effect change. In today's propagandistic and free-market capitalistic world that is a very high hurdle indeed. More likely, pseudo-communities will continue to be built, drawing upon the language but not the substance of community.

The book is thought-provoking. The author captures well that we are encapsulated in our private worlds with only marginal means to connect with others, unlike the easy sociability that once existed in some places. However, his emphasis on looking longingly at communities of the past will help little without accompanying suggestions about how to turn around our social structure. The author really does little of this. In a democracy, it is through political power that social change driven by citizens can occur. We can all see how change occurs that is dictated by huge private entities; that is the principal reason that "great good places" have essentially disappeared. It is even possible, though again most unlikely, that empowered citizens could create better and broader communities than those described by the author.

Think, eat, drink, act, buy local...........2006-02-06

Drawn by the concept of a "third place" as described by this book and referenced elsewhere, I thought I'd read to find out what this was about. In the end, this was a fascinating and thought provoking book. Mr. Oldenburg posits that much of our societal ills today are resultant from a lack of free association. That is, the places where people congregate / hang-out are disappearing because of urbanization, industrialization, etc. One example, the German beer garden (and its descendant in the US with early German immigrants) as a family affair - as, economically, there didn't seem to be any reason for such an institution in an "American" community, this venue slowly disappeared or devolved into the bars we know today - focused on serving alcohol to the subservient and willing. In fact, Oldenburg points out, the beer served in the beer garden was weaker than what we know today because the point was not the beer - the point was the association and conversation within the community, among families.

As we move towards a "private property society" and focus on "property rights" as we seem to understand them, the ability to be social, without prior planning, is slowly eroding. Simultaneously, the places to "hang out" are disappearing as a consumer driven market seems desirous of generating the most profit for the fewest people (corporations). Because of a desire for inexpensive goods, a local business, owned and operated by nearby residents, is next to impossible - especially in the face of the mass market competition from large corporations.

I think Oldenburg hits the nail squarely on the head. As I drive around (in a car-based economy), it's increasingly difficult to find a place to "hang out" and/or become a regular. (1) Restaurants are driven towards specific time limit for customers in hopes of turning a larger profit by serving more customers; (2) American bars are not conducive because service deteriorates if you choose not to imbibe and those that also serve food follow (1); and (3) the notion of coffee shops not driven by 1 or 2 are few and far between. Even assuming that there are such places of the "third place" variety, it more often than not requires a car to get there (not to mention paying to simply park near a place).

Anyone interested in property rights, humans as a social animal, and the notion of a "community," should read this book.

Finding a Great Good Place.......2005-12-28

I discovered this book after reading Willaim Raspberry (Washington Post Writers Group) commenting on his retirement. He found the newsroom served as the Great Good Place for him and rued that Americans don't have "informal gathering spots where one finds not just escape but camaraderie, conversation, friendly argument and pleasant conversation with regulars."
The civic solidarity and building of community that such a place fosters is sorely needed in America. I think that is one of the reasons for the dedication Rotarians give to their service organization. The weekly lunch meetings are structured, rather than informal, but otherwise fill the need for a Great Good Place.
I'd also suggest to those seeking a such a place, to check out their public library. Particularly in a small town, it can be the place where regulars run into each other and fall into discussion. Finding a spot where one can sit and chat without bothering students and readers depends on each library's layout.

Rebuttal to Lance Mertz's Review.......2004-07-22

I'm fascinated by your review of Ray Oldenburg's book _The Great Good Place_ without have read it. That's rather like a child saying he doesn't like spinach without having tried it.

I first had the pleasure of meeting Ray when I was editor of _The World of Beer_ out of Milan, Italy, when Alan Eames ("The Beer King"), who damned well lived in a small town - 300 - in New Hampshire, recommend the book to me. After reading a copy I made a point to meet Ray upon my next trip back to the United States.

Ray is indeed from small town America. He began his teaching career in Round Rock, Texas, back when the population was about 2,500. Today he makes his home near Pensacola, Florida. And has lived in a succession of small towns.

Ray's premise is that CITIES in America have lost their third places and we're the worse off for it.

Fabulous book, interesting man.....

Joel Jacobs
Commerce, Texas
US Navy, retired

Average customer rating:

How to Turn a Place Around

Manufacturer: Project for Public Spaces Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
Great Neighborhood Book: A Doityourself Guide to Placemaking
The Spaces between Buildings (Center Books on Space, Place, and Time)
People Places: Design Guidlines for Urban Open Space, 2nd Edition
The Essential William H. Whyte

ASIN: 0970632401

Book Description

Why are some places better than others? Why do we get out of our cars and walk through certain towns, and take the bypass around others? Why are some neighborhood parks assets to their communities, and others liabilities? What if we want our public spaces to be assets in our communities and neighborhoods, but don't know how to make them thrive? How do we make our public spaces into great community places?

The result of 25 years of experience working in communities around the country and internationally, How to Turn a Place Around is a primer for everyone from mayors to community members on evaluating and transforming public spaces into thriving centers of community activity. Sections include: Why Places are Important to Cities; What Makes a Place Great; Why Many Public Spaces Fail; An Alternative Approach to Planning; The 11 Principles of Creating Great Public Spaces; and a Workbook For Evaluating Public Spaces. Through examples of peoples' experiences in other cities, PPS demonstrates that, with an understanding of how a place works, any place can be “turned around.” “Today there is a growing understanding of how a focus on place can change how design and engineering professionals function,” writes Fred Kent in the book's forward. “If we move away from our own agendas and toward the idea of creating places, there will be a major shift in how our communities and cities function and grow. In fact, many communities are turning to alternatives to the traditional, project-oriented approach to neighborhood revitalization. We are making headway. Downtowns are once again becoming places to walk and shop and gather. Our city parks are greener than at any time since the turn of the last century, and we are discovering new ways for them and for our downtown plazas and civic squares to function as centers of community life.”

Squares: A Public Place Design Guide for Urbanists
Average customer rating:

Awesome!

Squares: A Public Place Design Guide for Urbanists
Mark C. Childs
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Building Types & Styles | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

New Towns For Old: Achievements In Civic Improvement In Some American Small Towns And Neighborhoods (American Society of Landscape Architects Centennial Reprint)

The Boulevard Book: History, Evolution, Design of Multiway Boulevards

Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities

The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community

Streets and Patterns: The Structure of Urban Geometry

ASIN: 0826330045

Book Description

Vital public places—squares, post office steps, playgrounds, street corners—are centers of joyful celebration, heartbroken communion, civic discussion, or for simply hanging out. Squares is intended to help designers, planners, public officials, students, developers, and community leaders understand the history and theories of public commons, elicit community dialogue and desires, respond to the natural and built environment, and design compelling places.

Mark C. Childs contends that places built to support conviviality are critical components of a good town. He includes theory, brief case studies, and 126 design queries and discussions. These questions range from the general--"How can the life of the community be strengthened by the planning of a civic place?"--to the particular--"Is the place delightful on a Tuesday morning?" "What makes a good place for a rendezvous?" Childs explores the design implications of the automobile, electronic media, the natural environment, urban furniture and structures, public safety, and public art. Interspersed with Childs's text are brief essays by other authors addressing particular kinds of public spaces: parks, urban beaches, farmers' markets, and community gardens.

This discussion of what makes public places appealing and useful will inspire those involved with public planning and design.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-01-18

Mark Childs really knows how to write about Civic Spaces. Highly recommend this book.

An Introduction to Political Geography: Space, Place and Politics

Average customer rating:

An Introduction to Political Geography: Space, Place and Politics
Martin Jones
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Regional Planning | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Globalization | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

INTRODUCTION TO GEOPOLOTICS: TENSIONS, CONFLICTS AND RESOLUTIONS
Making Political Geography (Human Geography in the Making)
THE GEOPOLITICS READER
Political Geography: Territory, State, and Society
Geographies of Globalization (Routledge Contemporary Human Geography)

ASIN: 0415250773

Book Description

This book outlines the full breadth of contemporary political geography, covering a rich and diverse range of topics, many of which will be familiar to readers' everyday experiences. In doing so it addresses not only traditional concerns such as state formation, geopolitics, electoral geography and nationalism, but also newer themes at the cutting-edge of political geography research, including the geographies of regulation and governance, policy formulation and delivery, the politics of place consumption, landscapes of power, identity politics, and geographies of resistance.

Average customer rating:

Public Places Urban Spaces
Great book for Urban Planners and Urban Designers
great introduction to urban design
For teachers and designers

Public Places - Urban Spaces
Matthew Carmona , Steven Tiesdell , Tim Heath , and Taner Oc
Manufacturer: Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods
Urban Design: Street and Square, Third Edition
Urban Design: The American Experience
The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

ASIN: 0750636327

Book Description

Public Places - Urban Spaces is a holistic guide to the many complex and interacting dimensions of urban design.

The discussion moves systematically through ideas, theories, research and the practice of urban design from an unrivalled range of sources. It aids the reader by gradually building the concepts one upon the other towards a total view of the subject.

The author team explain the catalysts of change and renewal, and explore the global and local contexts and processes within which urban design operates. The book presents six key dimensions of urban design theory and practice - the social, visual, functional, temporal, morphological and perceptual - allowing it to be dipped into for specific information, or read from cover to cover. This is a clear and accessible text that provides a comprehensive discussion of this complex subject.

* Learn all you need to know about design of urban spaces from this one-stop introductory guide
*Gain a comprehensive overview of the topic through the authors' holistic approach
*Complex ideas are presented logically for ease of understanding

Customer Reviews:

Public Places Urban Spaces.......2007-01-05

This book is very useful to understand the theory,design approach and planning schemes and concept development for public spaces. In addition the presentation and data are easily to understand the message of the author. The case study also provide good attempt to look at several good examples. Finally, I would like to suggest this book for all urban designers, students, architects, planners even public to understand the Public Spaces particularly in the Urban area.

Great book for Urban Planners and Urban Designers.......2006-11-10

Great book. A great read about urban design.

great introduction to urban design.......2006-08-25

I am a graduate student in planning and I had heard a lot about urban design but still had a ahrd time defining and describing it for myself-let alone someone else. I approached a professor who recommended this book and I found it really helpful. Good examples, lots of research from other urban designers, and I liked the way the book is divided into easy to grasp "dimensions."

For teachers and designers.......2006-03-09

Excellent reference book for an overall view of urban design today, with an accurate portrait of contexts and conceptual dimensions of and for a practice in urban design. The graphic design with explanatory boxes is very didatic for teaching purposes.

Cities Without Cities: Between Place and World, Space and Time, Town and Country

Average customer rating:

Cities Without Cities: Between Place and World, Space and Time, Town and Country
Thomas Sieverts
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Regional Planning | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0415272602

Book Description

This book investigates the characteristics of today's built environment: no longer simply a city but increasingly large conurbations made up of a number of development clusters, linked by transport routes. The diffusion of the once compact city into a city web, the 'meta city' is mirrored by changes in society from communities with strong social cohesion and interest in their towns and cities to individuals pursing their own goals, with global social links and little interest in their own town or city other than the quality of their personal space.
The account is complex and on a number of levels; social, philosophical, economic and environmental. The difficulties in managing or even controlling the city web, divided arbitrarily into areas of limited size and political power, are enormous. Areas compete with each other rather than co-operate. The book provides a better understanding of this new type of urban form and argues for a change in planning systems for better management.

Urban Spaces: The Design of Public Places (Urban Spaces)

Average customer rating:

Urban Spaces: The Design of Public Places (Urban Spaces)
John Morris Dixon
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Urban Spaces, Vol. 3
Urban Spaces, No. 4
The Good Life: New Public Spaces for Recreation
Urban Open Space: Designing For User Needs (Case Studies Land Community Design)
Urban Design: Street and Square, Third Edition

ASIN: 1584710233

Book Description

In less than two years since our first Urban Spaces volume went to press, hundreds of excellent urban spaces have been completed, and hundreds more proposed. The universal appeal of spaces where people can gather continues to generate new parks, plazas, lobbies, atriums, and malls. Both public and private clients are investing in creative urban spaces.

The Urban Land Institute has again cooperated with Visual Reference Publications to cosponsor this second volume showcasing urban spaces created by leading architects, landscape architects, urban designers, and planners. John Morris Dixon, FAIA, longtime Chief Editor of Progressive Architecture, will explain the design challenges and accomplishments of these outstanding projects.

As you travel through these superbly printed color pages, you will gather invaluable insights in the planning and design of such public spaces as the Civic Plaza in Phoenix, Gantry State Park in New York, and Paseo del Alamo in San Antonio. You will visit public facilities such as the Orlando International Airport and the Long Beach Convention Center in California; retail environments such as the Galleria at Roseville in California and the Park Meadows Retail Resort in Colorado; business complexes such as the 3M Headquarters in Mexico, Sears 2000 in Chicago, and the Conde Nast Building in New York; new in-town communities such as CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Florida and Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia; planned communities such as Narragansett Landing in Rhode Island, the Lake at Las Vegas in Nevada, and Middleton Hills in Wisconsin. Going abroad, you will explore Scienceland in Shanghai, Cavendish Square in Cape Town, and Warringah Mall in Sydney.

Urban Spaces No. 2 will be an invaluable reference for clients, public officials, building committees, and professionals who are responsible for the planning, design, and construction of urban developments of all kinds.

Book Description

Traces the evolution of urban America since 1950, uncovering the forces behind the full emergence of a metropolitan nation, a suburban society, and a series of fragmented civic communities.

With keen insight and exhaustive research John Rennie Short narrates the story of urban America from 1950 to the present, revealing a compelling portrait of urban transformation. Short chronicles the steady rise of urbanization, the increasing suburbanization, and the sweeping metropolitanization of the U.S., uncovering the forces behind these shifts and their consequences for American communities.

Drawing on numerous studies, first-hand anecdotes, census figures, and other statistical data, Short's work addresses the globalization of U.S. cities, the increased polarization of urban life in the U.S., the role of civic engagement, and the huge role played by the public sector in shaping the character of cities.

With deft analysis the author weaves together the themes of urban renewal, suburbanization and metropolitan fragmentation, race and ethnicity, and immigration, presenting a fascinating and highly readable account of the U.S. in the second half of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews:

Alabaster Cities is thoroughly accessible to lay readers as well as scholarly readers........2007-03-05

Written by John Rennie Short (Professor of Geography and Public Policy, University of Michigan), Alabaster Cities: Urban U.S. Since 1950 is an in-depth, scholarly study of urban America since 1950, with especial focus on "urban renewal" that all too often demolished working-class city zones that were not slums, failed to provide adequate public housing, and therefore left too many poor and lower-income people with no place to go; the positives and negatives of increasing suburbanization; and political and social fallout from changing urban and suburban dynamics. Though serious-minded, drawing heavily on research, and careful not to mistake correlation for causation (are suburbs often more conservative politically because conservatives tend to move there, or because life there tends to give residents a more conservative perspective?), Alabaster Cities is thoroughly accessible to lay readers as well as scholarly readers. Highly recommended.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books