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How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken (Constructs Series)
by Alex Marshall

How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken (Constructs Series) Cover

About This Book

ISBN13: 9780292752405
ISBN10: 0292752407
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

DO CITIES WORK ANYMORE? How did they get to be such sprawling conglomerations of lookalike subdivisions, megafreeways, and "big box" superstores surrounded by acres of parking lots? And why, most of all, don't they feel like real communities? These are the questions that Alex Marshall tackles in this hard-hitting, highly readable look at what makes cities work.<P>MARSHALL ARGUES that urban life has broken down because of our basic ignorance of the real forces that shape cities — transportation systems, industry and business, and political decision making. He explores how these forces have built four very different urban environments — the decentralized sprawl of California's Silicon Valley, the crowded streets of New York City's Jackson Heights neighborhood, the controlled growth of Portland, Oregon, and the stage-set facades of Disney's planned community, Celebration, Florida.<P>To build better cities, Marshall asserts, we must understand and intelligently direct the forces that shape them. Without prescribing any one solution, he defines the key issues facing all concerned citizens who are trying to control urban sprawl and build real communities. His timely book will be important reading for a wide public and professional audience.

Synopsis:

Do cities work anymore? How did they get to be such sprawling conglomerations of lookalike subdivisions, megafreeways, and big box superstores surrounded by acres of parking lots? And why, most of all, don't they feel like real communities? These are the questions that Alex Marshall tackles in this hard-hitting, highly readable look at what makes cities work.

Marshall argues that urban life has broken down because of our basic ignorance of the real forces that shape cities-transportation systems, industry and business, and political decision making. He explores how these forces have built four very different urban environments-the decentralized sprawl of California's Silicon Valley, the crowded streets of New York City's Jackson Heights neighborhood, the controlled growth of Portland, Oregon, and the stage-set facades of Disney's planned community, Celebration, Florida.

To build better cities, Marshall asserts, we must understand and intelligently direct the forces that shape them. Without prescribing any one solution, he defines the key issues facing all concerned citizens who are trying to control urban sprawl and build real communities. His timely book will be important reading for a wide public and professional audience.

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rosswilliams, August 1, 2006 (view all comments by rosswilliams)
I would love to see someone write a book about the increasing suburbanization of small towns. The shopping strip of big box retail has come to define most towns commercial area while the older retail is either boutiques, where that is possible, or low rent districts for service businesses. While people talk about putting the small town back into cities, no one is talking about how to preserve the small town in small towns. They are being left to the mercy of state highway traffic engineers.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780292752405
Subtitle:
Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken
Author:
Marshall, Alex
Publisher:
University of Texas Press
Location:
Austin
Subject:
Social Psychology
Subject:
Sociology - Urban
Subject:
Cities and towns
Subject:
City Planning & Urban Development
Subject:
City planning
Subject:
Growth
Subject:
Suburbs
Subject:
Social participation
Subject:
Political Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.
Subject:
Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.
Edition Number:
1st ed.
Series:
Constructs Series
Series Volume:
no. 25
Publication Date:
January 2001
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
270
Dimensions:
9.26x6.03x.65 in. .99 lbs.
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