Review by Choice Review
One of the contributors to this book declares that the "new urbanism" represents "a new chapter in the history of American city planning," one that is confronting such central issues as expensive housing, suburban sprawl, and social segregation "with an energy and creativity that had eluded planners until now." He claims too much. The ideas put forth here are largely derivative from such early landmarks in urban planning as Clarence Arthur Perry's neighborhood planning concept and new town development. As a model for the approach suggested, Florida's Seaside projects a population of only 2,000, hardly the stuff to turn around the vast array of problems in America's metropolitian regions. Nonetheless, this revival of admirable principles of planning that stress neighborhood and pedestrian orientation while still holding up the ideal of creating socially and physically diverse communities is a welcome addition to planning literature. Beautifully presented examples of the approach, including ideas for revitalizing downtown Los Angeles as well as actual suburban developments in progress or already constructed, confirm that a movement capable of making a significant impact on planning and design is under way. General readers; professionals and practitioners. H. Gillette Jr.; George Washington University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The New Urbanism is a movement that seeks to restore a civil realm to urban planning and a sense of place to our communities. It is a tangible response to the failed Modernist planning that has resulted in unchecked suburban sprawl, slavish dependence on the automobile, and the abandonment and decay of our cities. Katz, who heads a marketing and design firm, brings together in this informative and accessible book the voices and case studies of the young architects and planners who practice the New Urbanism--Peter Calthorpe, Andres Duany, and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, among them. They gear their designs to the scale of the pedestrian and seek to promote a symbiotic relationship between urban development and public transportation. An often published example of this movement is the community of Seaside, Florida. Extensively illustrated with plans, diagrams, and color photographs and renderings, this highly instructive book is a must for architecture and urban planning collections, and suitable for general readers.-- Thomas P.R. Nugent, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
