Regional Planning Books

Contemporary Urban Planning (7th Edition)

John M. Levy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Get a Broad spectrum of Urban Planning for the Beginner 4 out of 5 stars.
23 of 24 people found this review helpful.

This book gives a broad spectrum of what to expect in the planning field, but there are a few flaws. One is that the book is not written for the technocratic planner, it is written for the beginner or someone who is not going to make planning their career. But this book will give the beginner a broad basis to start from and for this I do suggest the beginner to read this before they choose planning as a career.

Editorial Review:

Based on the author's extensive experience as a working planner, this book gives readers an insider's view of sub-state urban planning—the “nitty-gritty” details on the interplay of politics, law, money, and interest groups. The author takes a balanced, non-judgmental approach to introduce a range of ideological and political perspectives on the operation of political, economic, and demographic forces in city planning. Unlike other books on the subject, this one is strong in its coverage of economics, law, finance, and urban governance. It examines the underlying forces of growth and change and discusses frankly who benefits and loses by particular decisions. A four-part organization covers the background and development of contemporary planning; the structure and practice of contemporary planning; fields of planning; and national planning in the United States and other nations, and planning theory. For individuals headed for a career in planning.

Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (The Institution for Social and Policy St)

James C. Scott

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Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

James C. Scott's research for this book began with an examination of the tensions between state authorities and various "unstable" individuals throughout history, from hunter-gatherer tribes to Gypsies to the homeless. He soon became fascinated, however, by the recurring patterns of failure and authoritarianism in certain social engineering programs aimed at bringing such people fully into the state's fold. Soviet collectivization, the Maoist Great Leap Forward, the precisely planned city of Brasilia--these and other projects around the world, while deeply ambitious, extracted immeasurable tolls on the people they were designed to help.

One of the most important common factors that Scott found in these schemes is what he refers to as a high modernist ideology. In simplest terms, it is an extremely firm belief that progress can and will make the world a better place. But "scientific" theories about the betterment of life often fail to take into account "the indispensable role of practical knowledge, informal processes, and improvisation in the face of unpredictability" that Scott views as essential to an effective society. What high modernism lacks is metis, a Greek word which Scott translates as "the knowledge that can only come from practical experience." Although metis is closely related to the concept of "mutuality" found in the anarchist writings of, among others, Kropotkin and Bakunin, Scott is careful to emphasize that he is not advocating the abolition of the state or championing a complete reliance on natural "truth." He merely recognizes that some types of states can initiate programs which jeopardize the well-being of all their subjects.

Although the collapse of most socialist governments might lead one to believe that Seeing Like a State is old news, Scott's analysis should prove extremely useful to those considering the effects of global capitalism on local communities.

Cities and Urban Life (4th Edition)

John J. Macionis, Vincent N. Parrillo

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Not a Great Textbook 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you are looking for the philospohy of how urban planning has been viewed through time then maybe this is the book for you. However as a text book it lacks a clear presentation of the information and is incredibly dull. When you read the chapters you have to continually look back at the overview to remember what they are rambling on about. I only gave it 2 stars instead of one because it does have a nice discussion on the philosophy of urban planning.

Editorial Review:

Cities and Urban Life, authored by two of the best-known textbook writers in the field, provides a comprehensive introduction to urban sociology, urban anthropology, and urban studies courses. Primarily sociological in approach, this book incorporates historical, social psychological, geographical, and anthropological insights. While strong in the classical urban sociology, it also gives extensive attention to the "new" political economy approach to urban studies. Also, the authors use global cities as case studies for more relevance to students.

All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life

Winona LaDuke

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This eagerly awaited non-fiction debut by acclaimed Native environmental activist Winona LaDuke is a thoughtful and in-depth account of Native resistance to environmental and cultural degradation.

LaDuke's unique understanding of Native ideas and people is born from long years of experience, and her analysis is deepened with inspiring testimonies by local Native activists sharing the struggle for survival.

On each page of this volume, LaDuke speaks forcefully for self-determination and community. Hers is a beautiful and daring vision of political, spiritual, and ecological transformation.

All Our Relations features chapters on the Seminoles, the Anishinaabeg, the Innu, the Northern Cheyenne, and the Mohawks, among others.

"One of the pleasures of reading All Our Relations is discovering the unique voices of Native people, especially Native women, speaking in their own Native truths."-Women's Review of Books

"...as Winona LaDuke describes, in moving and often beautiful prose, [these] misdeeds are not distant history but are ongoing degradation of the cherished lands of Native Americans."-Public Citizen News

"...a rare perspective on Native history and culture."-Sister to Sister/S2S

"Hers is a beautiful and daring vision of political, spiritual, and ecological transformation. All Our Relations is essential reading for everyone who cares about the fate of the Earth and indigenous peoples."-Winds of Change

"No ragtag remnants of lost cultures here. Strong voices of old, old cultures bravely trying to make sense of an Earth in chaos."-Whole Earth

How Cities Work : Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken

Alex Marshall

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Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"This is an outstanding book that I hope and expect will make a major contribution to the current debate on cities and suburbs."

—Robert Fishman, author of American Planning Tradition: Culture and Policy and Bourgeois Utopias: The Rise and Fall of Suburbia

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.

The American City : What Works, What Doesn't

Alexander Garvin

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The definitive modern planning manual...newly updated 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

There is a very good reason that Garvin's The American City has become required reading for most of the major urban affairs programs across the country: it stands alone as the definitive book on practical urban planning as we enter the 21st century. The first edition of this book, released in 1995, was a breath of fresh air in the field as it avoided emotional polemics in favor of thorough, pragmatic analyses of virtually every aspect of urban planning. This new, 560 page edition builds on the strengths of the original but has been substantially updated. It now includes coverage of the effects of stadiums and entertainment centers, BIDs, environmental factors, and much more. It has also been updated with the latest statistical information and additional stunning photos, as well as follow-ups on the projects originally covered in the first edition.

Garvin himself is uniquely qualified to write this book. For over thirty years he has taught Yale University's Introduction to the Study of the City course, while remaining busy as an architect, real estate developer and Director of Comprehensive Planning for the City of New York. After the publication of the original edition he became the Managing Director for Planning of New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympics (which was just selected as one of the finalists), and this year he was chosen to head up the complete rebuilding of the World Trade Center site after September 11 as the Vice President for Planning, Design and Construction of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.

If you have any interest whatsoever in the history, design, or improvement of America's urban landscape, this is the book to get. As Paul Goldberger, the former architecture critic of the New York Times has written: "I will read it again and again, sometimes from front to back, sometimes from back to front, sometimes to page through at a random, sometimes to consult and help me with a particular problem. I guarantee dog-eared pages within a year."

Editorial Review:

This comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to urban planning and design in America analyzes key projects initiated in 250 U.S. urban areas and details which strategies and programs were successful and which failed.

New to the Second Edition:
* New sections on stadiums, entertainment centers, business improvement districts, tax credit housing
* Checklists and tables for field use
* A review of recent failures and successes

This classic reference, fully revised for the new millennium, provides proven strategies for professionals and invaluable real-world insights for students.

Community Planning: An Introduction To The Comprehensive Plan

Eric Damian Kelly, Barbara Becker

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Community Planning is an introductory textbook that provides a thorough examination of the comprehensive planning process as practiced in the United States today. The authors consider all aspects of the comprehensive plan: its elements, adoption, and implementation. The book:

• introduces the planning student to the job of a planner
• defines and explains the importance of a comprehensive plan
• details the separate elements that make up the comprehensive plan
• directs students to resources for obtaining data necessary for creating and updating a plan
• provides techniques for citizen participation

The authors begin with a series of six chapters that offer a step-by-step approach to creating a comprehensive plan for a city, county, town, or village. Following that, they consider focused and specialized plans for particular geographic areas (neighborhoods or downtowns) or for particular planning topics (transportation, parks and recreation). The book concludes with a section that presents techniques of plan implementation.

Each chapter ends with separate boxes that consider, for that stage of development, the role of the planner and how citizens can participate in and influence the planning process. In addition, each chapter presents exercises designed to reinforce the learning in the chapter and offers questions for further discussion.

By using the framework of the comprehensive plan and walking the reader through the planning process, the authors clearly demonstrate what planners do, and how citizens can become involved in shaping the future of their community. The book will be an invaluable resource for students and faculty in planning departments across the country.

Introduction to Homeland Security, Second Edition (Butterworth-Heinemann Homeland Security)

Jane Bullock, George Haddow

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

INTRODUCTION TO HOMELAND SECURITY was the first book to provide practitioners, educators, and students with a comprehensive account of the original and ongoing developments in the Department of Homeland Securitys reorganization, as well as the practices, policies and programs enacted in relation to the government restructure. The new edition continues to prove the standard in providing the latest information on the developments in national security in the context of DHS.

Continuing in the tradition of the first edition, the book recounts US Government and private sector actions taken since 9/11 in the areas of legislation, government organization, communications, technology, and emergency management practices. It is packed with reference sections, notations directing the reader to relevant publications and websites, and contributions from media reports or experts. Case studies provide insightful guidance for security managers having to deal effectively with similar situations.

· Case Studies included in the book relate the book's topics to real events

· Only Homeland Security title to include an Instructor's Manual with Test Bank to support Academic curricula

· Includes an up-to-date, complete and comprehensive contact list of Federal and State government homeland security offices and officials

· Full color photographs and illustrations throughout

Native to Nowhere: Sustaining Home And Community In A Global Age

Timothy Beatley

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Meaningful places offer a vital counterbalance to the forces of globalization and sameness that are overtaking our world, and are an essential element in the search for solutions to current sustainability challenges. In Native to Nowhere, author Tim Beatley draws on extensive research and travel to communities across North America and Europe to offer a practical examination of the concepts of place and place-building in contemporary life. Tim Beatley reviews the many current challenges to place, considers trends and factors that have undermined place and place commitments, and discusses in detail a number of innovative ideas and compelling visions for strengthening place.

Native to Nowhere brings together a wide range of new ideas and insights about sustainability and community, and introduces readers to a host of innovative projects and initiatives. Native to Nowhere is a compelling source of information and ideas for anyone seeking to resist place homogenization and build upon the unique qualities of their local environment and community.

The New Transit Town: Best Practices In Transit-Oriented Development

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Editorial Review:

Transit-oriented development (TOD) seeks to maximize access to mass transit and nonmotorized transportation with centrally located rail or bus stations surrounded by relatively high-density commercial and residential development. New Urbanists and smart growth proponents have embraced the concept and interest in TOD is growing, both in the United States and around the world.

New Transit Town brings together leading experts in planning, transportation, and sustainable design -- including Scott Bernstein, Peter Calthorpe, Jim Daisa, Sharon Feigon, Ellen Greenberg, David Hoyt, Dennis Leach, and Shelley Poticha -- to examine the first generation of TOD projects and derive lessons for the next generation. It offers topic chapters that provide detailed discussion of key issues along with case studies that present an in-depth look at specific projects. Topics examined include:

• the history of projects and the appeal of this form of development
• a taxonomy of TOD projects appropriate for different contexts and scales
• the planning, policy and regulatory framework of "successful" projects
• obstacles to financing and strategies for overcoming those obstacles
• issues surrounding traffic and parking
• the roles of all the actors involved and the resources available to them
• performance measures that can be used to evaluate outcomes

Case Studies include Arlington, Virginia (Roslyn-Ballston corridor); Dallas (Mockingbird Station and Addison Circle); historic transit-oriented neighborhoods in Chicago; Atlanta (Lindbergh Center and BellSouth); San Jose (Ohlone-Chynoweth); and San Diego (Barrio Logan).

New Transit Town explores the key challenges to transit-oriented development, examines the lessons learned from the first generation of projects, and uses a systematic examination and analysis of a broad spectrum of projects to set standards for the next generation. It is a vital new source of information for anyone intersted in urban and regional planning and development, including planners, developers, community groups, transit agency staff, and finance professionals.