This Land: The Battle over Sprawl and the Future of America

by Anthony Flint

Despite a modest revival in city living, Americans are spreading out more than ever―into "exurbs" and "boomburbs" miles from anywhere, in big houses in big subdivisions. We cling to the notion of safer neighborhoods and better schools, but what we get, argues Anthony Flint, is long commutes, crushing gas prices and higher taxes―and a landscape of strip malls and office parks badly in need of a makeover. This Land tells the untold story of development in America―how the landscape is shaped by a furious clash of political, economic and cultural forces. It is the story of burgeoning anti-sprawl movement, a 1960s-style revolution of New Urbanism, smart growth, and green building. And it is the story of landowners fighting back on the basis of property rights, with free-market libertarians, homebuilders, road pavers, financial institutions, and even the lawn-care industry right alongside them. The subdivisions and extra-wide roadways are encroaching into the wetlands of Florida, ranchlands in Texas, and the desert outside Phoenix and Las Vegas. But with up to 120 million more people in the country by 2050, will the spread-out pattern cave in on itself? Could Americans embrace a new approach to development if it made sense for them? A veteran journalist who covered planning, development, and housing for the Boston Globe for sixteen years and a visiting scholar in 2005 at the Harvard Design School, Flint reveals some surprising truths about the future and how we live in This Land .

Genres: Nonfiction, Urban Studies, Architecture

312 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 2006

About the author

Anthony Flint is author of "Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took On New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City." A journalist for twenty years, primarily at The Boston Globe, he writes about architecture, urban planning and sustainability. He was a visiting scholar and Loeb fellow at the Harvard Design School, and also served in the Office for Commonwealth Development, the Massachusetts state agency coordinating growth policy. He is currently director of public affairs at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (www.lincolninst.edu), a think-tank in Cambridge, Mass. where he is also engaged in writing and research. He is the author of two blogs, At Lincoln House at www.lincolninst.edu and Developing Stories at www.anthonyflint.net. His first book was "This Land: The Battle over Sprawl and the Future of America" (Johns Hopkins, 2006). "

Reviews

[msondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Land is packed with a good survey of info regarding the new school of urban design called New Urbanism. These New Urbanists subscribe to an ideology that calls for an end to the irresponsible and unsustainable development patterns of the past 60 years and opt for an evolved approach which incorporates human proportions, less fossil fuel dependency, use of local resources, green design, minimal enviornmental impact, and consideration for all economic levels of society. It doesn't get heavily technical and incorporates several personal stories to tie together concepts that are still largely abstract and idealistic.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very in depth, but provides a good overview of current issues in urban planning. Quick read. Flint brings up some interesting issues but fails to delve very deeply into them. In my opinion he spends too much time telling individual people's stories. The book feels like a collection of articles, and given that he is a reporter I'm inclined to think that on some level it is a collection of articles. Some of the chapters/articles had too much overlap and the book started to feel a bit repetitive. Still, Flint has some very interesting observations and takes a different approach to some issues than I expected. A good read, though not a great one.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book bogs down into legislative particulars about mid-way through and loses some of its vim and vigor. But the first half is a worthy read that draws attention to the disaster of suburban sprawl.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the rise of sprawl and the political and cultural forces that led to it, plus a discussion of the growth of the anti-sprawl movement. The book was interesting but a bit disjointed - I have read others on the same topic that were better.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Makes me wish I was living in the heart of downtown Denver...soon enough. Although in the mean time I did walk to my neighborhood grocery store...go me!