Suburban nation : the rise of sprawl and the decline of the American Dream

"Founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk assess sprawl's costs to society, be they ecological, economic, aesthetic, or social. This book is a lively critical lament, and an entertaining lesson on the distinctions between postwar suburbia - characterized by housing clusters, strip shopping centers, office parks, and parking lots - and the traditional neighborhoods that were built as a matter of course until mid-century. It indicts the design and development industries for the fact that America no longer builds towns. Most important, though, it is a book that also offers us solutions."--Jacket. Read more... Abstract: "Founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk assess sprawl's costs to society, be they ecological, economic, aesthetic, or social. This book is a lively critical lament, and an entertaining lesson on the distinctions between postwar suburbia - characterized by housing clusters, strip shopping centers, office parks, and parking lots - and the traditional neighborhoods that were built as a matter of course until mid-century. It indicts the design and development industries for the fact that America no longer builds towns. Most important, though, it is a book that also offers us solutions."--Jacket

for A Decade, suburban Nation has Given Voice To A Growing Movement In North America To Put An End To Suburban Sprawl And Replace The Last Century’s Automobile-based Settlement Patterns With A Return To More Traditional Planning. Founders Of The Congress For The New Urbanism, Andres Duany And Elizabeth Plater-zyberk Are At The Forefront Of The Movement, And Even Their Critics, Such As Fred Barnes In the Weekly Standard, Recognized That “suburban Nation is Likely To Become This Movement’s Bible.” A Lively Lament About The Failures Of Postwar Planning, This Is Also That Rare Book That Offers Solutions: “an Essential Handbook” (san Francisco Chronicle).

 

this Tenth Anniversary Edition Includes A New Preface By The Authors.

publishers Weekly

like An Architectural Version Of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, Our Main Streets And Neighborhoods Have Been Replaced By Alien Substitutes, Similar But Not The Same, State Duany, Plater-zyberk And Speck In This Bold And Damning Critique. The Authors, Who Lead A Firm That Has Designed More Than 200 New Neighborhoods And Community Revitalization Plans, Challenge Nearly Half A Century Of Widely Accepted Planning And Building Practices That Have Produced Sprawling Subdivisions, Shopping Centers And Office Parks Connected By New Highways. These Practices, They Contend, Have Not Only Destroyed The Traditional Concept Of The Neighborhood, But Eroded Such Vital Social Values As Equality, Citizenship And Personal Safety. Further, They Charge That Current Suburban Developments Are Not Only Economically And Environmentally Unsustainable, But Not Functional Because They Isolate And Place Undue Burdens On At-home Mothers, Children, Teens And The Elderly. Adapting The Precepts That Famed Urbanologist Jane Jacobs Used To Critique Unhealthy City Planning, Duany, Plater-zyberk And Speck Call For A Revolution In Suburban Design That Emphasizes Neighborhoods In Which Homes, Schools, Commercial And Municipal Buildings Would Be Integrated In Pedestrian-accessible, Safe And Friendly Settings. While Occasionally Presenting Unsupported Claims--such As That Gated Communities (of Which There Are Now More Than 20,000 In The U.s.) Deprive Children Of Gaining A Sense Of Empathy In A Diverse Society--their Visionary Book Holds Out Hope That We Can Create Places That Are As Valuable As The Nature They Displaced. (mar.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

A manifesto by America's most controversial and celebrated town planners, proposing an alternative model for community design. There is a growing movement in North America to put an end to suburban sprawl and to replace the automobile-based settlement patterns of the past fifty years with a return to more traditional planning principles. This movement stems not only from the realization that sprawl is ecologically and economically unsustainable but also from a growing awareness of sprawl's many victims: children, utterly dependent on parental transportation if they wish to escape the cul-de-sac; the elderly, warehoused in institutions once they lose their driver's licenses; the middle class, stuck in traffic for two or more hours each day. Founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk are at the forefront of this movement, and in Suburban Nation they assess sprawl's costs to society, be they ecological, economic, aesthetic, or social. It is a lively, thorough, critical lament, and an entertaining lesson on the distinctions between postwar suburbia-characterized by housing clusters, strip shopping centers, office parks, and parking lots-and the traditional neighborhoods that were built as a matter of course until mid-century. It is an indictment of the entire development community, including governments, for the fact that America no longer builds towns. Most important, though, it is that rare book that also offers solutions. There is a growing movement in North America to put an end to suburban sprawl and to replace the automobile-based settlement patterns of the past fifty years with a return to more traditional planning principles. This movement stems not only from the realization that sprawl is ecologically and economically unsustainable but also from a growing awareness of sprawl's many victims: children, utterly dependent on parental transportation if they wish to escape the cul-de-sac; the elderly, warehoused in institutions once they lose their driver's licenses; the middle class, stuck in traffic for two or more hours each day. Founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk are at the forefront of this movement, and in Suburban Nation they assess sprawl's costs to society, be they ecological, economic, aesthetic, or social. It is a lively, thorough, critical lament, and an entertaining lesson on the distinctions between postwar suburbia-characterized by housing clusters, strip shopping centers, office parks, and parking lots-and the traditional neighborhoods that were built as a matter of course until mid-century. It is an indictment of the entire development community, including governments, for the fact that America no longer builds towns. Most important, though, it is that rare book that also offers solutions. --front flap Founders Of The Congress For The New Urbanism, Andres Duany And Elizabeth Plater-zyberk Assess Sprawl's Costs To Society, Be They Ecological, Economic, Aesthetic, Or Social. This Book Is A Lively Critical Lament, And An Entertaining Lesson On The Distinctions Between Postwar Suburbia - Characterized By Housing Clusters, Strip Shopping Centers, Office Parks, And Parking Lots - And The Traditional Neighborhoods That Were Built As A Matter Of Course Until Mid-century. It Indicts The Design And Development Industries For The Fact That America No Longer Builds Towns. Most Important, Though, It Is A Book That Also Offers Us Solutions.--jacket. What Is Sprawl, And Why? -- The Devil Is In The Details -- The House That Sprawl Built -- The Physical Creation Of Society -- The American Transportation Mess -- Sprawl And The Developer -- The Victims Of Sprawl -- The City And The Region -- The Inner City -- How To Make A Town -- What Is To Be Done -- Appendix A: The Traditional Neighborhood Development Checklist -- Appendix B: The Congress For The New Urbanism. Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-zyberk, And Jeff Speck. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 269-276) And Index. Introduction ix What Is Sprawl, and Why? 3 z The Devil Is in the Details 21 3 The House That Sprawl Built 39 4 The Physical Creation of Society 59 5 The American Transportation Mess 85 6 Sprawl and the Developer 99 7 TheVictims of Sprawl 115 8 The Cityand the Region i35 9 'he Inner City 153 lo Howto Make a Town 83 ii What Is to Be Done 215 Appendix A: The Traditional Neighborhood Development Checklist 245 Appendix B: The Congress for the New Urbanism 253 Acknowledgments 263 Notes 267 Bibliography 269 Sources of Illustrations 277 Index 279 Suburban Nation is a groundbreaking analysis of the detrimental ecological effects and societal costs of late 20th century automobile-based settlement patterns and policies This book is a study of two different models of urban growth: the traditional neighborhood and suburban sprawl.