rukistarsailor's review
3.0
I stopped reading City Planning: A Very Short Introduction for a bit because I was dismayed to discover that modern urban planning has roots in colonialism (I know, I shouldn't have been surprised at this point). Once I started reading the book again, I realized that the book is full of valuable considerations about urban planning in general. For instance, the book posits that current urban planning disproportionally disadvantages minorities, the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and, to some extent, women, who are often in charge of running errands and chauffeuring family members. Other interesting topics include environmentalist urban plannning, bottom-up led urban planning, and urban planning in preparation of natural disasters (thanks to climate change).
In summary, City Planning: A Very Short Introduction is a nice intro to urban planning though sometimes the book is a bit boring/dry.
In summary, City Planning: A Very Short Introduction is a nice intro to urban planning though sometimes the book is a bit boring/dry.
bookwisp86's review
5.0
I've read a few books from the "Short Introduction" series and this one was absolutely fascinating! I love when I read something and it makes me look at the world in a slightly different way. This book details (quickly) the common ideas and forces that go into creating a city as well as their pitfalls. Which sounds boring, but this book is very accessible to not experts. It reads more like a series of lectures then a non-fiction book. The focus is on suburbia vs. city, city centers and what that means, different communities and how they clash, zoning and bias, keeping cities whole when they grow, nature in cities and rebuilding after disaster. There is a lot of information in this little book and I learned quite a bit about something I originally knew nothing about.
iemalyon's review
4.0
I have a quest to read 20 non-fiction books this year. This one felt a little out of my comfort zone, but mostly due to the broad scope this story took. As a student interested in Civil Engineering, I was hoping this book would have some cool history of how city planners choose a layout. It was more about specific cities and the history of legislation.
All in all, it was okay. I wish it had more pictures and diagrams.
All in all, it was okay. I wish it had more pictures and diagrams.
lstmemery's review
3.0
Perhaps it's my own ignorance speaking, but I still have little understanding of a city planner actually does. This book reads more like a series of loosely connected essays on the ethics of designing urban spaces. The essays themselves are interesting enough, but not why I picked up this book.
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