Category: Book Review
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People, Planet, Design
Book Review The world of design and architecture holds untapped potential for promoting sustainability, a topic we dove into with author Corey Squire, of “People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture’s Potential,” in our latest Booked on Planning episode. In the episode coming out in a few weeks, we discussed how design choices…
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Accidental Ecosystems
Book Review Our urban spaces are teeming with life, though we often overlook it. This life isn’t merely human but encompasses an array of flora and fauna, insects and animals, all contributing to a vibrant and complex urban ecosystem. In one of my favorite podcast episodes this year, my co-host Jennifer and I talked with…
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The New Localism
Book Review As politics has become nationalized in recent years, problem solving has become localized, a trend termed new localism. New localism is governance founded on collaboration, not coercion; diverse networks, not just elected officials; and iterative problem solving, not rigid and prescriptive approaches. Cities (the local level) are an ideal test bed for new…
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Why Old Places Matter
Book Review Old places matter because they provide continuity; memory; individual, civic, state, national, and universal identity; beauty; history; architecture; sacred ties, creativity, learning opportunities, sustainability, a tie to our ancestors, community, and economic value. With so many reasons to keep old buildings standing, its hard to understand why we keep tearing them down and…
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Green Metropolis
Book Review Last week I had a long car ride and spent the majority of it listening to Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability by David Owen. The expansive title is a pretty good description of what the book is about. Over the course of six…
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Main Street Revised
Book Review Main street holds a special place in the heart of most Americans. While many of us chose to live in big cities, we harbor a small desire to move to a small town with a quaint little main street. A safe hamlet where everybody knows everybody. Movies and shows have been recreating this…
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Bureau Men Settlement Women: Constructing Public Administration in the Progressive Era
Book Review Today’s field of public administration is shaped largely by the events that transpired during the progressive era, a time when social justice and improving the lives of city dwellers began. This was also the era when rationalizing and regulating societal processes took hold. The field of public administration began as the former and…
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The World of the Policy Analyst
Book Review What I took away from the World of the Policy Analyst written by Heineman, Bluhm, Peterson, and Kearny was that as a policy analyst, you cannot escape politics. A policy analyst tries to be impartial, but it is hard to be completely unbiased which makes sense. The data is presented, but there are…
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The Company Town
Book Review My last blog post on company towns started me on a path to reading The Company Town by Hardy Green and a more in-depth look at one company town In Chocolate We Trust by Peter Kurie. Both were very interesting glimpses into the history and development of the company town. Kurie’s focused solely…
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Our Towns
Book Review I was jealous as I read Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows who spent several years flying around the U.S. in their small personal plane visiting towns making a comeback after the recession. As a planner traveling to learn from other communities is an ingrained part of my personality. I love visiting…
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The Planning Lady 