One of Planetizens Top Planning Books for 2017 bull; San Francisco Chronicles 2016 Holiday Books Gift Guide PickWhat makes a great city? Not a good city or a functional city but a great city. A city that people admire; learn from; and replicate. City planner and architect Alexander Garvin set out to answer this question by observing cities; largely in North America and Europe; with special attention to Paris; London; New York; and Vienna.For Garvin; greatness is not just about the most beautiful; convenient; or well-managed city; it isnrsquo;t even about any ldquo;city.rdquo; It is about what people who shape cities can do to make a city great. A great city is not an exquisite; completed artifact. It is a dynamic; constantly changing place that residents and their leaders can reshape to satisfy their demands. While this book does discuss the history; demographic composition; politics; economy; topography; history; layout; architecture; and planning of great cities; it is not about these aspects alone. Most importantly; it is about the interplay between people and public realm; and how they have interacted throughout history to create great cities.To open the book; Garvin explains that a great public realm attracts and retains the people who make a city great. He describes exactly what the term public realm means; its most important characteristics; as well as providing examples of when and how these characteristics work; or donrsquo;t. An entire chapter is devoted to a discussion of how particular components of the public realm (squares in London; parks in Minneapolis; and streets in Madrid) shape peoplersquo;s daily lives. He concludes with a look at how twenty-first century initiatives in Paris; Houston; Atlanta; Brooklyn; and Toronto are making an already fine public realm even bettermdash;initiatives that demonstrate what other cities can do to improve.What Makes a Great City will help readers understand that any city can be changed for the better and inspire entrepreneurs; public officials; and city residents to do it themselves.
2016-09-01 2016-09-01File Name: B01L0KWB46
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