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A review by sannermatt
Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity by Charles L. Marohn Jr.
Every mayor and city council member should read this book twice.
For thousands of years, humans had perfected the incremental building and growth of the places we inhabit. In the decades after WWII, all of that knowledge and wisdom was flushed down the drain in favor of automobile-focused development. this new experiment has proven to be devastating for our towns and cities. Detroit was the first American city to try this experiment and other cities will soon follow in its wake.
Today, the infrastructure cult proposes more and more growth to solve our problems. However, quick growth with short term profits results in long term maintenance costs that are so often unaccounted for. Cities so desperate for and addicted to growth are willing to hand private developers tax incentives on a silver platter with little thought for the future.
Chuck Marohn has been spearheading the revival of American towns for some time now. In his book, he argues that cities should be looking at development in terms of “Value Per Acre” and he provides the math that proves it. His fiscally conservative approach is so darn appealing. He urges cities to make smart, incremental, and financially solvent improvements that won’t leave future generations with holes in their pockets.
If you love your city and want to see it thrive, buy this book and gift it to your city council members pronto.
For thousands of years, humans had perfected the incremental building and growth of the places we inhabit. In the decades after WWII, all of that knowledge and wisdom was flushed down the drain in favor of automobile-focused development. this new experiment has proven to be devastating for our towns and cities. Detroit was the first American city to try this experiment and other cities will soon follow in its wake.
Today, the infrastructure cult proposes more and more growth to solve our problems. However, quick growth with short term profits results in long term maintenance costs that are so often unaccounted for. Cities so desperate for and addicted to growth are willing to hand private developers tax incentives on a silver platter with little thought for the future.
Chuck Marohn has been spearheading the revival of American towns for some time now. In his book, he argues that cities should be looking at development in terms of “Value Per Acre” and he provides the math that proves it. His fiscally conservative approach is so darn appealing. He urges cities to make smart, incremental, and financially solvent improvements that won’t leave future generations with holes in their pockets.
If you love your city and want to see it thrive, buy this book and gift it to your city council members pronto.