These 14 books, selected by Planetizen for lasting relevance and excellence in research and rhetoric, will continue to define the ambitions and the shortcomings of the urban planning field in the decade that was the 2010s.
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2019
The decade wraps up with another engaging crop of highly readable and recommendable books on the subject of urban planning. There’s a lot to learn, on many related subjects, among this year’s top planning books.
Tightening The Belt
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is tying the world together—but what’s the end game?
Mobility Revolution Arriving Fast … and Slow
Advances in mobility technologies — from electric cars to robotic shopping carts — are dazzling. But planners will be hard-pressed to predict which ones will prevail.
The Coming Uberapocalypse
If the Uberpocalypse (Lyftaclysm?) transpires, cities are going to find themselves time-warped back to 2009
Santa Barbara Celebrates “Authenticity,” Faces Housing Crunch
Santa Barbara will be on full display at next week’s conference of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association. In advance of the conference, CP&DR’s Josh Stephens spoke with Santa Barbara Community Development Director George Buell.
Thunberg’s Voyage May Be a Stunt, But She Has a Point for Planners
If we can rebuild our cities according to those models, with an eye towards human scale and away from the automobile, Americans won’t need to travel abroad just so they can find a decent sidewalk cafe.
Incoming Berkeley Design Dean Seeks to Unite East and West Coasts in Responsible Urbanism
CP&DR’s Josh Stephens spoke with Vishaan Chakrabarti about his transition to Berkeley and the urban environment he will encounter upon moving west.
State Begins To Push SB 2 Planning Money Out The Door
SB 2 sets aside enough money for literally every jurisdiction in the state to apply for and receive a grant.
Take Me Out to the City
Architecture critic Paul Goldberger analyzes the evolution of baseball stadiums and celebrates their essential connection to cities in “Ballpark: Baseball in the American City.”
Stalled California housing bill could give architects chance to redesign the state’s cities
The quality of design that follows the passage of the next version of SB 50 will, without exaggeration, determine the look, feel, and function of California cities for at least the next generation.
Stampede of New Residents Challenges Fort Worth
An interview with Fort Worth Planning and Development Director Randle Harwood on the planning practices and ideas driving the future of one of the nation’s fastest growing cities.
Sometimes Civic Ambition Should Aim Lower
The San Jose tower falls into the all-too-common trap of mistaking a skyline for a city.
Gentrification Studies Must Inspire Solutions
The study of gentrification took center stage at the recent conference of the Urban Affairs Association. It’s up to planners to put all of that research to good use.
Who’s to Blame for Gentrification? Planners, Apparently
Capital City casts planners as lackeys, serving the forces of capitalism.
How an Arizona Outpost Quenches California’s Thirst
Water influences urban planning only in the broadest sense. It doesn’t tell us where to build or in what configuration. But it determines how many of us can live here.