Fascinating! This book made me look at especially the layout of the desert southwest, and the midwest too, with new eyes. I always knew the more modern cities had lost the charm of the old world of Europe or even of the east coast of American big cities, but I could never quite put my finger on why. Was it just the fact that those cities had variable and more interesting architecture, whereas everything built out west is basically functional boxes? I thought maybe it was the concrete everywhere, but that’s true of London and Edinburgh and etc too, and those are still charming.

Kunstler makes the argument that it really goes back to the fact that modern life is structured almost entirely around the automobile. Somehow I’d not noticed that before, nor that the places I’d most describe as “charming” are older communities with fewer cars, public transportation, and no nearby highways. (Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, and places like it!) He then goes on to describe how zoning laws have made it illegal to build communities like that today: places where storefronts line the sidewalks, with living quarters above. Places where the buildings are right up against the sidewalk, and then the street. Places that aren’t situated in the middle of parking lots. He describes how these laws were designed to create class separation, but as a result, they ended up creating suburbia — “nowhere,” because they lack coherent town centers, and walkable community life.

So many things I’d thought about but never been able to articulate or explain before. Seems like something for local politicians to address, so that we can begin to create the kinds of communities where most of us would like to live again.

My rating: *****

Language: none

Violence: none

Sexual content: none

Political content: none

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