The city of Pleasanton; located in the beautiful Amador-Livermore valley; was formed in 1867 when immigrants John Kottinger and Joshua Neal used land from their Californio wives� dowries and laid out a town. Kottinger named the city after Civil War general Alfred Pleasonton; but a postal clerical error changed the spelling to �Pleasanton� and the name stuck. The men secured Pleasanton�s future by offering land to the Western Pacific Railroad for a railroad station and landing. Planning for future growth thus became a legacy that is still embraced by this modern city of 70;000 people. Today families and tourists are attracted to Pleasanton�s historic downtown; where 19thcentury buildings still stand and people stroll among its many shops and restaurants.
#2470055 in eBooks 2012-08-21 2012-08-21File Name: B0097A4XXE
Review
10 of 14 people found the following review helpful. a good startBy John G. EllisThis project is a very valuable idea but is spoiled by careless inaccuracies and missing information. The idea of comparing city figure-ground maps at the same scale is something of great interest to architects and urban designers. It is too bad that so many of the plans are filled with graphical errors. thereby casting doubt on many of the other drawings. Mr Jenkins writes in the introduction of the importance of going to original sources for accurate information and data. but clearly has not done so in many cases. For example the map of Bath in England shows the street running straight across the park in front of the Royal Crescent. when anyone who has ever studied this marvellous place knows that the road follows the oval shape of the buildings. The footprints of the buildings around the Royal Circus and Crescent by the Wood father and son are inaccurately drawn in relation to their depth. and most significantly. the property lines and garden walls are omitted from the drawings.This latter item is a consistent flaw in the whole book because the dimensions of the lot. or parcel lines are of enormous significance in understanding the scale and grain of an urban fabric. Knowing the dimensions of the individual parcel widths is a key to understanding the pattern of a citys building typologies and measuring facts such as residential density. for example.San Francisco North of Market blocks have a typical block dimension of 150 x 100 varas (Spanish land measurements) that translate into 412.5 x 275 with a 2:3 ratio of width to length. Portland Oregon has a 200 x 200 block dimension that is the smallest of any US city.If this book ever gets revised it would be valuable if all these drawings were corrected and verified.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Wish I had it then...By Chris SullivanWhile any Architect worth their tenure strives for precision and accuracy in the execution of their proposal. EJs diagrams suit a pressing need for reference material with information of sufficient grain to make general observation for a basis of design. No Architect should (legally) or would (with any sensitivity) substitute sketching and documenting conditions while present in the urban environment of their choice. and copies copies of archival reference material -- all of which can be very difficult to come by.Criticisms attacking the legitimacy and value of these plans along the lines of subordinate deficiencies miss the mark: these drawings could be fiction. for all intents and purposes. and would still spark discussion within that context to advance a greater understanding of the way space relates to place relates to point. and back out again within the nonlinear manifold of spatial experiences for discovery.So for that. and on behalf of students interested in these places. I wish to thank and express my respect for this manual. surely more a labor of love than the definitive point of reference....and with Nolli diagrams. as well. Thanks. Eric.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great Resource!By C. ColeTo Scale is an excellent resource for urban design educators and students. The consistent graphic language and scale applied to the 100 plans is useful for drawing comparisons between different urban models and establishing a quick point of reference. The book offers a comprehensive coverage of urban typologies and illustrates fundamental concepts of urban design. I have already used this book to demonstrate to my students examples of: spatial sequences. connections. figural voids and alignments.As a course text. I would compliment it with other writings that talk about the cultural and theoretical context of the urban environment. This book is a great addition. Good work Jenkins!
