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Tactical Urbanism
by Mike Lydon • 2014
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
3.99
315
Tactical Urbanism Summary
Tactical Urbanism 94%
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
by Mike Lydon 2014
3.99
315 ratings
Streetfight
by Janette Sadik-Khan • 2016
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
4.26
2k+
Streetfight Summary
Streetfight 93%
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
by Janette Sadik-Khan 2016
4.26
2k+ ratings
Escaping the Housing Trap
by Charles L. Marohn Jr. • 2024
Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.
4.37
503
Escaping the Housing Trap Summary
Escaping the Housing Trap 93%
Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.
by Charles L. Marohn Jr. 2024
4.37
503 ratings
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
by William H. Whyte • 1980
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
4.33
927
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Summary
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces 93%
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
by William H. Whyte 1980
4.33
927 ratings
The Just City
by Susan S. Fainstein • 2010
Stop asking if a city is growing. Start asking who it's growing for.
3.75
174
The Just City Summary
The Just City 93%
Stop asking if a city is growing. Start asking who it's growing for.
by Susan S. Fainstein 2010
3.75
174 ratings
The Option of Urbanism
by Christopher B. Leinberger • 2007
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
3.89
185
The Option of Urbanism Summary
The Option of Urbanism 93%
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
by Christopher B. Leinberger 2007
3.89
185 ratings
Capital City
by Samuel Stein • 2019
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
3.92
2k+
Capital City Summary
Capital City 93%
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
by Samuel Stein 2019
3.92
2k+ ratings
Palaces for the People
by Eric Klinenberg • 2018
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
3.97
5k+
Palaces for the People Summary
Palaces for the People 93%
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
by Eric Klinenberg 2018
3.97
5k+ ratings
Smart Cities
by Anthony M. Townsend • 2013
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
3.61
817
Smart Cities Summary
Smart Cities 93%
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
by Anthony M. Townsend 2013
3.61
817 ratings
Against the smart city
by Adam Greenfield • 2013
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
3.96
132
Against the smart city Summary
Against the smart city 93%
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
by Adam Greenfield 2013
3.96
132 ratings
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City
by Alan Ehrenhalt • 2012
American metros are inverting: affluence returns downtown, immigrants settle the suburbs.
3.77
678
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City Summary
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City 92%
American metros are inverting: affluence returns downtown, immigrants settle the suburbs.
by Alan Ehrenhalt 2012
3.77
678 ratings
Curbing Traffic
by Melissa Bruntlett • 2021
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
4.38
633
Curbing Traffic Summary
Curbing Traffic 92%
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
by Melissa Bruntlett 2021
4.38
633 ratings
Road to Nowhere
by Paris Marx • 2022
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
4.16
643
Road to Nowhere Summary
Road to Nowhere 92%
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
by Paris Marx 2022
4.16
643 ratings
The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City
by Barbara E. Mundy • 2015
The Aztec capital didn't fall. Markets, water, and ritual kept its heart alive inside Mexico City.
4.11
71
The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City Summary
The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City 92%
The Aztec capital didn't fall. Markets, water, and ritual kept its heart alive inside Mexico City.
by Barbara E. Mundy 2015
4.11
71 ratings
Forgotten Continent
by Michael Reid • 2007
The underachieving region that may decide the future of democratic capitalism worldwide.
3.89
767
Forgotten Continent Summary
Forgotten Continent 92%
The underachieving region that may decide the future of democratic capitalism worldwide.
by Michael Reid 2007
3.89
767 ratings
Triumph of the City
by Edward L. Glaeser • 2011
Poverty flocks to cities because cities are the escape route. The economic case for density.
3.91
6k+
Triumph of the City Summary
Triumph of the City 92%
Poverty flocks to cities because cities are the escape route. The economic case for density.
by Edward L. Glaeser 2011
3.91
6k+ ratings
The Smart Enough City
by Ben Green • 2019
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
4.12
208
The Smart Enough City Summary
The Smart Enough City 92%
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
by Ben Green 2019
4.12
208 ratings
Happy City
by Charles Montgomery • 2012
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
4.36
10k+
Happy City Summary
Happy City 92%
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
by Charles Montgomery 2012
4.36
10k+ ratings
Uses of Disorder
by Richard Sennett • 1970
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
3.88
258
Uses of Disorder Summary
Uses of Disorder 92%
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
by Richard Sennett 1970
3.88
258 ratings
Rebel Cities
by David Harvey • 2012
Capitalism doesn't just happen in cities. It happens through them, and the rent is coming due.
3.92
2k+
Rebel Cities Summary
Rebel Cities 92%
Capitalism doesn't just happen in cities. It happens through them, and the rent is coming due.
by David Harvey 2012
3.92
2k+ ratings
Justice at Work
by Marc Doussard • 2022
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
5.00
3
Justice at Work Summary
Justice at Work 91%
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
by Marc Doussard 2022
5.00
3 ratings
Down and Delirious in Mexico City
by Daniel Hernandez • 2011
A Mexican-American writer goes home to a city that swallows him with punks, cults, and riots.
3.61
657
Down and Delirious in Mexico City Summary
Down and Delirious in Mexico City 91%
A Mexican-American writer goes home to a city that swallows him with punks, cults, and riots.
by Daniel Hernandez 2011
3.61
657 ratings
The New Urban Crisis
by Richard Florida • 2017
Why urban revival is driving inequality and pushing out the middle class.
3.49
1k+
The New Urban Crisis Summary
The New Urban Crisis 91%
Why urban revival is driving inequality and pushing out the middle class.
by Richard Florida 2017
3.49
1k+ ratings
Municipal Dreams
by John Boughton • 2018
Britain built some of the world's best public housing, then spent 40 years dismantling it.
3.92
769
Municipal Dreams Summary
Municipal Dreams 91%
Britain built some of the world's best public housing, then spent 40 years dismantling it.
by John Boughton 2018
3.92
769 ratings
On Power
by Robert A. Caro • 2017
How one man built a financial empire inside the government and became untouchable.
3.95
1k+
On Power Summary
On Power 91%
How one man built a financial empire inside the government and became untouchable.
by Robert A. Caro 2017
3.95
1k+ ratings
How to Kill a City
by Peter Moskowitz • 2017
Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.
4.07
4k+
How to Kill a City Summary
How to Kill a City 91%
Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.
by Peter Moskowitz 2017
4.07
4k+ ratings
Networks of New York
by Ingrid Burrington • 2016
Orange lines on the pavement mark fiber-optic cables: a field guide to the visible internet.
3.80
232
Networks of New York Summary
Networks of New York 91%
Orange lines on the pavement mark fiber-optic cables: a field guide to the visible internet.
by Ingrid Burrington 2016
3.80
232 ratings
Cities
by Monica L. Smith • 2019
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
3.26
446
Cities Summary
Cities 91%
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
by Monica L. Smith 2019
3.26
446 ratings
Back on the Road (Otra Vez)
by Ernesto Che Guevara • 2000
Guatemala fell while he watched. In Mexico, Castro asked him to join a revolution.
3.72
861
Back on the Road (Otra Vez) Summary
Back on the Road (Otra Vez) 91%
Guatemala fell while he watched. In Mexico, Castro asked him to join a revolution.
by Ernesto Che Guevara 2000
3.72
861 ratings
The Edifice Complex
by Deyan Sudjic • 2006
From Hitler's Reich Chancellery to the Bilbao Guggenheim, what monuments are really for.
3.8
380
The Edifice Complex Summary
The Edifice Complex 91%
From Hitler's Reich Chancellery to the Bilbao Guggenheim, what monuments are really for.
by Deyan Sudjic 2006
3.8
380 ratings
Zoned in the USA
by Sonia A. Hirt • 2014
The detached home with its own yard is globally rare. American zoning manufactured it at scale.
4.01
136
Zoned in the USA Summary
Zoned in the USA 91%
The detached home with its own yard is globally rare. American zoning manufactured it at scale.
by Sonia A. Hirt 2014
4.01
136 ratings
How Infrastructure Works
by Deb Chachra • 2023
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
3.64
937
How Infrastructure Works Summary
How Infrastructure Works 91%
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
by Deb Chachra 2023
3.64
937 ratings
Nowhere to Live
by James S. Burling • 2024
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
4.00
12
Nowhere to Live Summary
Nowhere to Live 91%
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
by James S. Burling 2024
4.00
12 ratings
Central America's Forgotten History
by Aviva Chomsky • 2021
Central American migration isn't about poverty. It's the legacy of a century of US intervention.
4.06
518
Central America's Forgotten History Summary
Central America's Forgotten History 91%
Central American migration isn't about poverty. It's the legacy of a century of US intervention.
by Aviva Chomsky 2021
4.06
518 ratings
The Economy of Cities
by Jane Jacobs • 1969
Cities didn't follow farms; farms followed cities. That reversal explains every economic boom.
4.09
1k+
The Economy of Cities Summary
The Economy of Cities 91%
Cities didn't follow farms; farms followed cities. That reversal explains every economic boom.
by Jane Jacobs 1969
4.09
1k+ ratings
Liquid Times
by Zygmunt Bauman • 2007
The stable world of careers, communities, and safety nets is gone, replaced by a permanent churn.
3.87
2k+
Liquid Times Summary
Liquid Times 91%
The stable world of careers, communities, and safety nets is gone, replaced by a permanent churn.
by Zygmunt Bauman 2007
3.87
2k+ ratings
Life After Cars
by Sarah Goodyear • 2025
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
4.26
1k+
Life After Cars Summary
Life After Cars 91%
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
by Sarah Goodyear 2025
4.26
1k+ ratings
The Rise of the Creative Class
by Richard Florida • 2004
Jobs once followed factories. Now a class of creatives clusters in the most tolerant cities.
3.68
3k+
The Rise of the Creative Class Summary
The Rise of the Creative Class 91%
Jobs once followed factories. Now a class of creatives clusters in the most tolerant cities.
by Richard Florida 2004
3.68
3k+ ratings
The Great Reset
by Richard Florida • 2010
Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.
3.59
656
The Great Reset Summary
The Great Reset 90%
Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.
by Richard Florida 2010
3.59
656 ratings
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem
by Gregg Colburn • 2022
Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.
4.21
1k+
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem Summary
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem 90%
Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.
by Gregg Colburn 2022
4.21
1k+ ratings
Glimpses of Utopia
by Jess Scully • 2020
A fair society is not theoretical. Its pieces are already running in cities across the world.
3.97
110
Glimpses of Utopia Summary
Glimpses of Utopia 90%
A fair society is not theoretical. Its pieces are already running in cities across the world.
by Jess Scully 2020
3.97
110 ratings
Brown Enough
by Christopher Rivas • 2022
The race conversation is Black and white. One actor discovered he belonged to neither.
4.28
310
Brown Enough Summary
Brown Enough 90%
The race conversation is Black and white. One actor discovered he belonged to neither.
by Christopher Rivas 2022
4.28
310 ratings
Paint Your Town Red
by Matthew Brown • 2021
38 million to 111 million: the spending shift that rebuilt a town.
3.71
173
Paint Your Town Red Summary
Paint Your Town Red 90%
38 million to 111 million: the spending shift that rebuilt a town.
by Matthew Brown 2021
3.71
173 ratings
The Big Truck that Went By
by Jonathan M. Katz • 2013
When the world rushed to save Haiti, it brought a cholera epidemic with it.
4.12
2k+
The Big Truck that Went By Summary
The Big Truck that Went By 90%
When the world rushed to save Haiti, it brought a cholera epidemic with it.
by Jonathan M. Katz 2013
4.12
2k+ ratings
Gang Leader for a Day
by Sudhir Venkatesh • 2008
A sociologist ran a Chicago gang for a day. The books were cleaner than he expected.
4.07
26k+
Gang Leader for a Day Summary
Gang Leader for a Day 90%
A sociologist ran a Chicago gang for a day. The books were cleaner than he expected.
by Sudhir Venkatesh 2008
4.07
26k+ ratings
Four Lost Cities
by Annalee Newitz • 2021
Lost cities didn't vanish; their people walked away when rulers chose monuments over working sewers.
3.78
7k+
Four Lost Cities Summary
Four Lost Cities 90%
Lost cities didn't vanish; their people walked away when rulers chose monuments over working sewers.
by Annalee Newitz 2021
3.78
7k+ ratings
Let Me Speak
by Domitila Barrios de Chungara • 1978
Dead by 35, paid pennies: a Bolivian miner's wife on why women's liberation requires revolution.
4.25
424
Let Me Speak Summary
Let Me Speak 90%
Dead by 35, paid pennies: a Bolivian miner's wife on why women's liberation requires revolution.
by Domitila Barrios de Chungara 1978
4.25
424 ratings
No Is Not Enough
by Naomi Klein • 2017
Chaos as political strategy: its roots in neoliberal failure, and the coalition that can defeat it.
4.10
11k+
No Is Not Enough Summary
No Is Not Enough 90%
Chaos as political strategy: its roots in neoliberal failure, and the coalition that can defeat it.
by Naomi Klein 2017
4.10
11k+ ratings
LatinoLand
by Marie Arana • 2024
Thirty-three countries, five centuries of mixing: the real story inside the label 'Latino.'
4.31
610
LatinoLand Summary
LatinoLand 90%
Thirty-three countries, five centuries of mixing: the real story inside the label 'Latino.'
by Marie Arana 2024
4.31
610 ratings
Engineering in Plain Sight
by Grady Hillhouse • 2022
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
4.20
856
Engineering in Plain Sight Summary
Engineering in Plain Sight 90%
An illustrated field guide to the engineering secrets embedded in every street, pole, and bridge.
by Grady Hillhouse 2022
4.20
856 ratings
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