Books
Revisiting Early L.A. Reviews
Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne begins a year-long series reading and reviewing 25 books all about L.A.
Urban Favorites
The Polis Blog presents a huge list of "urban favorites" -- songs, movies, initiatives and places that explain or highlight the best of the world's urban areas.
The Jacobs Legacy
Jarrett Murphy reviews The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs" by Roberta Brandes Gratz, and concludes that it is a nuanced interpretation of the classic showdown.
A Giant of a Book on Urban Design
Ben Brown reviews Dhiru Thadani's new book, The Language of Towns and Cities. Weighing in at 800 pages, this encyclopedic urban design dictionary defines planning terms with extensive graphics.
Top 10 Architecture Books of 2010
Norman Weinstein of The Architectural Record selects his favorite architecture books of the year, which range from a coming-of-age memoir to a treatise on Turkish art and architecture.
Top 10 Books - 2011
Planetizen is pleased to release its ninth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2010. This year's selection includes some big names, some big ideas -- and a book called "Toilet."
Urban Planning Gift Ideas For Children (Your Budding Planner)
I've gathered some of the best here, properly field tested by my boys, to help you with your holiday shopping list.
The Beauty of Public Spaces
A new book by Robert Gatje gives public squares and piazzas the coffee-table treatment, meticulously detailing what makes these historic spaces work.
Can We Get Utopia Right?
Salon interviews author J.C. Hallman about his new book "In Utopia," which explores modern-day utopian projects and how they differ from those of the past.
New Book Says Cars Are The Future
A review of the new book, "Two Billion Cars: Driving Towards Sustainability," which argues that cleaner cars are the future of transportation and barely mentions bicycling, walking or transit.
City of 250,000 Has No Bookstore
Laredo, Texas is losing its only bookstore, a B. Dalton (the chain is going out of business).
Urban and Regional Mysteries: Not so Guilty Pleasures
With vacations upon us many students have been asking me what they should read over the winter break. Certainly it is possible to catch up with planning classics and thought-provoking books and several earlier blogs have highlighted these options. However,for those wanting to escape and learn something as well, a number of mystery authors write books that both investigate crimes and evoke a sense of place. The following list highlights just some of this range—there are hundreds more of course (and if you scroll for the bottom you will find links to other lists).
Top 10 Architecture Books of the Year
Norman Weinstein, architecture writer for The Christian Science Monitor, picks his top ten books on architecture that came out in 2009.
Top 10 Books - 2009
Planetizen is pleased to release its eighth annual list of the ten best books in the planning field. With titles covering some of the most timely issues in planning, the list gives readers an overview of the best ideas and writing in the field.
Reflecting on Planning and the Planet: Summer Readings that Help You Think
Lastmonth’s blog outlined how to find books recommended by many planners—important,classic, or accessible. However,summer is also a time to push your viewpoint a bit further. For those wantingreadings that might push you tothink differently about planning, the following lists are useful startingpoints. (And a note to planners—we need more of these lists reflecting different placesand people and issues!)
Young Author Writes About Human Impact of Sprawl
Gina Olszowski's first book focuses on the personal stories of rural residents impacted by sprawl.
Summer Reading about Planning: The Basics
As the northern summer starts, one of the questions I am asked most frequently by current and prospective planning students is: what should I read? A number of resources are available to answer this question. This month I look at general planning readings for a North American audience but in coming months I’ll explore readings about global planning issues, planning methods, and planning classics. For those wanting an overview of planning issues, the following lists are good places to start:
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
