The Busiest Street In Town

Few children’s books skillfully cover the subject of urban planning. Chicago's Wacker Manual for the Plan of Chicago (1911), David Macaulay’s lavishly illustrated City:A Story of Roman Planning and Construction (1974), and most recently, Planetizen's Where Things Are, From Near to Far (2008) are standouts. 

2 minute read

July 25, 2010, 3:27 PM PDT

By Mike Lydon


Few children's books skillfully cover the subject of urban planning. Chicago's Wacker Manual for the Plan of Chicago (1911), David Macaulay's lavishly illustrated City:A Story of Roman Planning and Construction (1974), and most recently, Planetizen's Where Things Are, From Near to Far (2008) are standouts.

 

However, as the majority of the world's population shifts to urban areas the basics of sustainable city building must be taught more effectively to children of all ages. With this in mind, I was delighted to receive Mara Rockliff's The Busiest Street In Town from Kim Wiley-Schwartz, Director of New YorkCity-based Streets Education. 

 

 

 

Charmingly illustrated by Sarah McMenemy, the story picks up along Rushmore Boulevard, a major thoroughfare bisecting the homes of lifelong friends, and neighbors, Agatha May Walker and Eulalie Scruggs. Like many formerly pleasant urban streets, Rushmore Boulevard is dominated by motor vehicles to the point where Agatha May and Eulalie can no longer cross the street safely.

 

The tale follows Agatha May, who is armed with an unflappable DIY spirit, as she attempts to reclaim the street from the hegemony of the automobile. What emerges is the complete transformation of Rushmore Boulevard. 

 

Drawing most obviously from the techniques employed by Aussie urbanist Dave Engwicht, as well as numerous other livable street champions (Hans Monderman, Jan Gehl, Janette Sadik-Khan, etc.), this whimsical tale will not only delight a five-year old child, it will also inspire the 55-year old traffic engineer, and remind us all to work towards leaving a better world behind. 

 

Pick up your copy today!  

 

 


Mike Lydon

Mike Lydon is a Principal of The Street Plans Collaborative, an award-winning planning, design, and research-advocacy firm based in Miami, New York City, and San Francisco. Mike is an internationally recognized planner, writer, and advocate for livable cities. His work has appeared in The New York Times, NPR, ABC News, CNN Headline News, City Lab, and Architect Magazine, amongst other publications. Mike collaborated with Andres Duany and Jeff Speck in writing The Smart Growth Manual, published by McGraw-Hill in 2009.

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