Good Urban Planning books?

P

Patrick

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Does anyone have any they would suggest?

I have read one, I picked it up on vaca in a borders in Cali, and I learned a lot from it. But since then, I haven't found any that are worth reading, does anyone know of any good ones?
 
I read Home From Nowhere and really liked it. Kuntsler can be a tough nut but when you get down to what he is saying, he speaks the truth and seems to be one of the only ones speaking it.

The City of To-morrow and its Planning by Le Corbusier - This will make your blood boil.

Design of Cities by Edmund Bacon - Kevin Bacons father, renound city planner of Philadelphia, great book, lots of pics.

Cities of Tomorrow by Peter Hall - Really dry but very factual.

Image of A City & Good City Form by Kevin Lynch - You from Boston? Know this guy. You into planning? Know this guy.

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander - I haven't read this one but it supposedly is considered to be a bible of planning along with Life and Death.
 
This is hard to find but definitely available at the Umass Boston library.

Author Jellicoe, Geoffrey Alan, 1900-
Title Motopia : a study in the evolution of urban landscape / G. A. Jellicoe.
Publisher London : Studio Books, c1961.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I just ordered two books to read on urban planning (we're in the sports doldrums, duh!... kidding) and I've started reading one of them and so far it's fascinating and it's not on this list so far:

"The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History" By: Spiro Kostof
It's written in a way that people (like me) who can get bored of reading quickly remain interested and the organization of his writing is unique (not chronological, but it still makes sense).

I also ordered "Great Streets" by Allen B. Jacobs on the recommendation of a relative and look forward to reading that as well.

I plan on reading "Death and Life of Great American Cities" ASAP (looking through used bookstores) and one more I was curious about is, Kevin Lynch's "The Image of the City;" anyone read that one yet? the Amazon reviews were few, but the reviews that were there were good.
 
I tired reading it but it is very dry. I put it down so long ago I'll have to start over. He is, however, one of the greatest minds in urban planning from the 20th century so I do recommend it even if you don't agree with some parts.
 
The Image of the City - Kevin Lynch
City Sense and City Design - Kevin Lynch
Cities of Tomorrow - Sir Peter Hall
 
vanshnookenraggen said:
I read Home From Nowhere and really liked it. Kuntsler can be a tough nut but when you get down to what he is saying, he speaks the truth and seems to be one of the only ones speaking it.

The City of To-morrow and its Planning by Le Corbusier - This will make your blood boil.

Design of Cities by Edmund Bacon - Kevin Bacons father, renound city planner of Philadelphia, great book, lots of pics.

Cities of Tomorrow by Peter Hall - Really dry but very factual.

Image of A City & Good City Form by Kevin Lynch - You from Boston? Know this guy. You into planning? Know this guy.

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander - I haven't read this one but it supposedly is considered to be a bible of planning along with Life and Death.
Click to expand...

Pattern Language & The Timeless Way of Building (C.A.) are both great books. A little dry at times but still valuable. I should have read your post because I posted the same books. Sir Peter Halls book is great too.
 
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