The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community

by Peter Katz, Vincent Scully (Foreword by)

The move to liveable communities--ideal ``small towns'' and neighborhoods where people work, live, play, and walk from place to place--is on. Profit from what a visionary group of architects leading this movement has learned about designing new ``small towns'' in Peter Katz's The New Urbanism. You'll discover the amazing potential for this kind of work as well as case studies, site plans, project analyses, and 180 beautiful photographs. This unique reference also tackles--and answers--the critical issues of crime, health, traffic, environmental degradation, and economic vitality and opens a startling window on the look and feel of future communities. Every designer can profit from this guide to building the utopias of tomorrow--today!

Genres: Architecture, Urbanism, Nonfiction, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Cities

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[Meik Mattke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book’s constituent parts and visuals were organized in a coherent way which allowed easy engagement with the ideas presented——commendable, since the book is compiling separate thinkers and thoughts emerging around and developing New Urbanism at the time.

Taken as a timepiece, I enjoyed its survey of insights into this movement’s development.

[Jim Dressner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book chronicles attempts to provide a view on "New Urbanism", which is basically a return to older town planning principles of mixed use, higher density housing, pedestrian scale, and priority of public over private. The majority of the book is case studies, with a fair amount of detail about design intentions and the building codes for making it happen. Unfortunately, most of case studies were of projects that had not been built at the time of publication. The essays at the beginning and end of the book are fairly good, too.”

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book looks at a new architectural/urban planning trend toward trying to make communities more traditional and livable. The book profiles a number of communities that have been designed according to these principles. I found the book to be too detailed for the general reader, although it would probably work well for a professional architect.

[Kj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a thorough book about our built environment (think houses, stores, streets, etc.) and how we can change development patterns in positive ways. It's a classic in the planning field, but I think it's worth a wider audience.

[Joe Alcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are trying to learn any of the thoughts and principals about New Urbanism, I would say look elsewhere. I would equate this to a grandma's brag book, light on facts and details and heavy on pictures and stories.

[Satitiwikan sunowo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is one of the reason i fall in love with urban design....an amazing example of what a community should be designed.

[Li · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is coffee table material at best. nice to see Providence Downcity get a shout out, though.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changed my life in the most unexpected ways. HIGHLY recommended if you're interested in architecture, urban planning, and new solutions for the way we inhabit this earth.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to live in a TOD!

[Chris Waterguy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the clear examples, the photographs and plans, and the introductions to key thinkers like Peter Calthorpe.