5 comments about Charter of The New Urbanism.

1. This book presents urban design ideas which are useful, sustainable, and proven by time. Many of the cities that are so loved, for example, Paris, Budapest, Prague, Rome, etc., are built on principles of design that are similar to those that are presented in this book. While this form of urbansim may now seem new in America, it is found in America's past, throughout Europe, and other areas of the world. I really enjoyed reading this book.



2. The Charter of the New Urbanism not only sets forth a manifesto of what future generations of town planners and residential developers may deem the most significant architectural movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but it does so with clarity, precision, and economy.

   This volume is an essential text in an essential field, and should be considered so by municipal planners, developers, builders, architects, and citizens who care about the quality of life in their cities, towns, suburbs, and hamlets.

   In addition to rendering their own analyses in compelling and thoughtful prose, McCormick and Leccese have displayed the deftness of master cat herders by wrangling a passel of leading New Urbanists -- by no means the most egregiously agreeable of architectural types -- into presenting their thoughts in a thorough-going and satisfying manner.

   The reader who delves into this book and rides it to its conclusion will come away understanding a great deal about how we live today, and how we could -- and perhaps should -- be living.




3. This is a very dry and disjointed work. If you are interested in the topic, have a blast and read Suburban Nation and The Geography of Nowhere. Then if you want more, buy Christopher Alexander's works--and savor them.



4. "An important work that defines the tenets of New Urbanism, this book serves as the group's manifesto. The charter illustrates the 27 principles of New Urbanism, from the scale of regions to neighborhoods and buildings, and pairs each with an essay by a different author. Now followers of the movement can use the charter to define their work and detractors can refer to it when presenting their side of the debate. ... Graphically pleasing, the book reads well ... When defining the problems of today's development patterns, the text is clear and seductive. ... The test of the Charter of New Urbanism will be its timeless quality. ..."



5. The Charter of the New Urbanism is an absolutely fantastic book. It should be required reading for all planners, architects, public officials, engineers, and citizen activists. It brings together in one book essays from some of today's brightest minds. Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Peter Calthorpe, Walter Kulash, John Norquist and others describe the Congress for the New Urbanism's (CNU) positions on many important issues, such and traffic congestion, regional planning, environmental issues, affordable housing, civic art, and of course, curbing urban sprawl. New Urbanism is a highly organized and diverse branch of the "Smart Growth" family tree. They have brought a broad range of people together in forming this book, which shows that the problems of sprawl, environmental degregation, inner city decay, and increasing separation by race and income are "one interrelated community-building challenge."

No comments about The Temple in the House: Finding the Sacred in Everyday Architecture.

No comments about The Critical Seventies: Architecture and Urban Planning in the Netherlands 1968-1982.

2 comments about A Decent Place to Live: From Columbia Point to Harbor Point-A Community History.

1. I lived in Columbia Point from 1963 - 1973 and I don't see anything in this book about the good times we had there. Lived on Montpelier Road and Monticello Avenue and I sure had some good times. I remember Ms. Shearer and her lovely family and Ms. McCluskey and her family - I use to go to school with them and they were good friends with my mother working at the Health Center. There were good times when parents looked out after other parent kids while working hard and keeping us in check; I marched with the Dorchester Brigadiers and remember when they were under St. Christopher. I had a wonderful stay at CP and I am not a shame to say that I did. I don't remember too much trouble back them as we go dancing at the Center; playing basketball in the city league at the playground. But the most of all that I will never forget is the summer jobs that Bernie Sneed, Ben Wade and Stevie Sullivan were my supervisors and we had wonderful time. They were discipline people and I admire them for what they contributed to the community, especially Bernie Sneed. Oh I have to speak on the "summer thing" across the street from the Center every summer - there was always something going on in CP.
   
   Those Dorchester Brigadiers and myself, marching through Columbia Point (all through the Point) and everyone looking out their windows cheering, coming out of the buildings cheering us on as they could here use all the way up near the church. I remember marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston. Incredible! Those were the days that I remember and not the bad!
   
   In 1973, my parents stated that it is time to go but I kept coming out to visit my friends - I missed them so much as I was also angry that my parents took us out of CP.
   
   I know everyone in this book that spoke their minds, use to working under Ms. Young and the people in this book were and still great people. What happened after our family moved out, I can't speak on it but can amazing what happened, that's everywhere. So this book should of focus on the good and the bad and not just only on the bad because back in the day, it was a great place to be rise at and look at me know, I turn out alright!



2. This is a book detailing the entire history of a Boston neighborhood I lived in for 5 years ('89-'94). And...it's good! It's well-written, comprehensive, & thoroughly researched.
   
   The point of the book was how the neighborhood rebounded after degenerating into one of the worst & most notorious housing projects in the country. Due to a few local businessmen dedicated to their home city & a team of local community leaders (strong-willed housewives & grandmothers, mainly), the neglected, miserable-looking brick buildings were eradicated (along with the tainted "Columbia Point" name) & smartly-designed townhouses & apartment complexes took their place. The key to it all was the fusing of considerable private funds (the local businessmen) with state & federal funds to create an attractive profit-generating mixed-income developement that would appeal to professionals while at the same time treating the poorer long-time residents as equal partners in community decisions. In addition, because of all the funding, the landscaping was greatly improved, a private security force was created, and amenities like tennis courts, a gym, & a pool were added. And as a result, Harbor Point WAS a decent place to live.
   
   Brilliant!
   
   Why can't ALL housing projects be redone like this?

No comments about Planning Latin American Capital Cities1850-1950 (Planning, History, and the Environment Series).

No comments about Open 13: The Rise of the Informal Media.

No comments about Urban Ecology.

2 comments about Scale Models: Houses of the 20th Century.

1. This is a GREAT book for LEGO enthusiasts, as there are TONS of great photos of interesting layouts, photos of the models, etc. This is a great resource ALSO because since these are already models, much of the geometry is already simplified, which makes building much easier. :-)



2. If you have ever had a hard time visualizing the way a floor plan would look in real life this book would be benificial. It is a well rounded collection of house models done by famous architects. This book will also help anyone who is trying to design a model house of their own.

No comments about Garden Cities 21: Creating a Livable Urban Environment.

1 comments about Design and Landscape for People: New Approaches to Renewal.

1. This book was a disappointment for me. As one who has appreciated Small Is Beautiful, 25th Anniversary Edition: Economics As If People Mattered: 25 Years Later . . . With Commentaries and Human Scale I was not expecting so much fine print and examples, even through grouped into the following five categories, struck me as kludgy:
   
   Utility
   Citizenship
   Rural
   Identity
   Urban
   
   My notes:
   
   + Imagination alone can work miracles in the absence of resources.
   
   + Worlds of planning, commerce, culture, technology, and politics are disconnected BUT the authors see a massive shift emergent toward participatory culture. I am reminded of Paul Hawkin's Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World and Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace.
   
   + There are a lot of buzzwords among the fine print, such as creative engagement, adaptive transformation, etcetera. This is where I begin to think this has crossed the line toward kludge.
   
   + I am *very* impressed with the small section that focuses on children play power, connecting a merry-go-round to pump water to a gravity storage container.
   
   + Page 17: What many of these strategies shared was the principle of putting information clearly in the public domain and drawing togetyher a debate between a public, political and professional audience to unlock different perspectives and produce different solutions. I am reminded of Jim Rough's brilliant work Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
   
   + Art in public spaces inspires new forms of social networks. Rivers can have "Save My River Chapters" all along its path, I am reminded of the Salmon Nation the future-oriented denizens of Eco-topia have put into place.
   
   The book does downhill from there, in part because the small print is annoying, in part because while the photos are truly beautiful, this book does not convey what the Germans call "the feeling in the fingertips."
   
   I am however very impressed toward the end when the book talks about OASIS (Open Accessible Space Information System) and the discussion the authors offer of how training children and citizens to map their neighborhoods at the sapling level in unleashing enormous stores of energy. I am especially impressed by a map on page 158 that shows "Desireable Places to Plant a Tree." THIS IS PERFECT. Now imagine a Global Range of Gifts table at the sapling and ceramic refrigerator level for the whole planet, so the 80% of the individuals that do not do planned giving can give a sapling or a cell phone or a month's worth of medicine. I this coming and pray it will arrive sooner.
   
   The book re-engaged me at the end where there is a superb discussion of how we should plan neighborhoods with running water so that the poor can upgrade as they improve their condition, rather than vacating. Grow wealth locally.
   
   This book is offered at a very fair price and on that basis am taking it up to four stars instead of three. If you love this topic, this is book by two people who care, offered by a publisher who has the integrity to price it affordably.
   
   I read this book with A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World and The Porto Alegre Alternative: Direct Democracy in Action (IIRE (International Institute for Resear) and in a fascinating way all three hung together--Civilization of Love ends by pointing out that the future Church is going to comprised of young urban poor; and the Porto Alegre book, an edited work, ends compellingly by saying that we should not have to choose between statism and the market, it is possible to put everyone's eyes on the whole of the budget, and dramatically redirect how our tax dollars are spent. I agree, but not in 2008. That just became another lost epoch. See my review of Obama - The Postmodern Coup: Making of a Manchurian Candidate and of course Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It.
   
   With my last remaining link, I recommend All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (BK Currents).