Synopses & Reviews
The American elm, elegant and highly adaptable, was an essential feature of Americaand#8217;s cultural landscape for more than a century, forming great verdant parasols aboveand#151;and giving its name toand#151;streets all across the nation. The elm became a defining element in the spatial design of Americaand#8217;s villages, towns, and cities, first in New England, andand#151;with the westward transit of Yankee cultureand#151;eventually throughout the United States. This fascinating and generously illustrated book traces the elmand#8217;s transformation from a fast-growing weed into a regional and national icon, and shows how Elm Street satisfied Americaand#8217;s quest for a pastoral urbanism imagined since the time of Jefferson.
About the Author
Thomas J. Campanella is assistant professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is the author of Cities from the Sky: An Aerial Portrait of America.