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Jigsaw cities: Big places, small spaces
Through a close look at major British cities, using Birmingham as a case study, the book explores the origins of Britain's acute urban decline and sprawling exodus; the reasons why 'one size doesn't fit all' in cities of the future and the potential for smart growth, mixed communities and sustainable cities. Based on live examples and hands-on experience, this extremely accessible book offers a unique 'insider' perspective on policy making and practical impacts. It will attract policymakers in cities and government as well as students, regeneration bodies, community organisations and environmental specialists.
280 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2007
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November 17, 2011
Jigsaw Cities started off on a high note for me and gently rolled downhill after the first third of the book. This Anne Power and John Houghton work is divided into three parts: Part 1 covers the history of housing in the UK from the industrial revolution to the present day; Part 2 discusses the current state of UK housing and the challenges facing stakeholders; and Part 3 tries to answer the question of "Where do we go from here?"
Part 1 was by far the most useful and interesting section of the book for me. It did a good job summarising the changes in UK housing policies over the past two centuries or so, and the drivers and the politics behind these shifts. Part 1 came across as being tightly written and coherently structured and I had high hopes for the rest of the book, particularly after the disappointment of Power's Cities for a Small Country. But after reading Part 2, I was left wondering whether perhaps the coherent structure of Part 1 stemmed from the fact that when recounting the history of an issue, you can seldom go wrong by sticking with the tried and tested approach of ordering the account chronologically. Part 2 attempted to summarise recent shifts in UK housing policies, weaving in the myriad challenges facing the UK on the housing front, from declining densities, mismatches in the supply and demand of housing, sustainability challenges, etc. But lacking an obvious approach to structuring this section, Power and Houghton meander around in circles, taking far too long to make their points. This section would have benefitted from some tighter editing and clearer themes around which to structure the narrative.
Part 3 covered Power and Houghton's thoughts and proposals on housing policy going forward. This, for me, was the weakest section of the book. I found it a tedious read as Powers and Houghton spend about 50 pages essentially discussing the flip side of their arguments in Parts 1 and 2 of the book as they discuss the notion of "smart cities" for the UK. So where Part 2 talks about the tragedy of flight from the inner city and the hollowing out of the city's inner core, Part 3, (un)surprisingly talks about the need to build in already well-used areas in the inner city rather than expanding outwards.
3 stars overall, but that's really because of Part 1.
Part 1 was by far the most useful and interesting section of the book for me. It did a good job summarising the changes in UK housing policies over the past two centuries or so, and the drivers and the politics behind these shifts. Part 1 came across as being tightly written and coherently structured and I had high hopes for the rest of the book, particularly after the disappointment of Power's Cities for a Small Country. But after reading Part 2, I was left wondering whether perhaps the coherent structure of Part 1 stemmed from the fact that when recounting the history of an issue, you can seldom go wrong by sticking with the tried and tested approach of ordering the account chronologically. Part 2 attempted to summarise recent shifts in UK housing policies, weaving in the myriad challenges facing the UK on the housing front, from declining densities, mismatches in the supply and demand of housing, sustainability challenges, etc. But lacking an obvious approach to structuring this section, Power and Houghton meander around in circles, taking far too long to make their points. This section would have benefitted from some tighter editing and clearer themes around which to structure the narrative.
Part 3 covered Power and Houghton's thoughts and proposals on housing policy going forward. This, for me, was the weakest section of the book. I found it a tedious read as Powers and Houghton spend about 50 pages essentially discussing the flip side of their arguments in Parts 1 and 2 of the book as they discuss the notion of "smart cities" for the UK. So where Part 2 talks about the tragedy of flight from the inner city and the hollowing out of the city's inner core, Part 3, (un)surprisingly talks about the need to build in already well-used areas in the inner city rather than expanding outwards.
3 stars overall, but that's really because of Part 1.
Displaying 1 of 1 review