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Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity by Charles L. Marohn Jr.
sannermatt's review
Every mayor and city council member should read this book twice.
For thousands of years, humans had perfected the incremental building and growth of the places we inhabit. In the decades after WWII, all of that knowledge and wisdom was flushed down the drain in favor of automobile-focused development. this new experiment has proven to be devastating for our towns and cities. Detroit was the first American city to try this experiment and other cities will soon follow in its wake.
Today, the infrastructure cult proposes more and more growth to solve our problems. However, quick growth with short term profits results in long term maintenance costs that are so often unaccounted for. Cities so desperate for and addicted to growth are willing to hand private developers tax incentives on a silver platter with little thought for the future.
Chuck Marohn has been spearheading the revival of American towns for some time now. In his book, he argues that cities should be looking at development in terms of “Value Per Acre” and he provides the math that proves it. His fiscally conservative approach is so darn appealing. He urges cities to make smart, incremental, and financially solvent improvements that won’t leave future generations with holes in their pockets.
If you love your city and want to see it thrive, buy this book and gift it to your city council members pronto.
For thousands of years, humans had perfected the incremental building and growth of the places we inhabit. In the decades after WWII, all of that knowledge and wisdom was flushed down the drain in favor of automobile-focused development. this new experiment has proven to be devastating for our towns and cities. Detroit was the first American city to try this experiment and other cities will soon follow in its wake.
Today, the infrastructure cult proposes more and more growth to solve our problems. However, quick growth with short term profits results in long term maintenance costs that are so often unaccounted for. Cities so desperate for and addicted to growth are willing to hand private developers tax incentives on a silver platter with little thought for the future.
Chuck Marohn has been spearheading the revival of American towns for some time now. In his book, he argues that cities should be looking at development in terms of “Value Per Acre” and he provides the math that proves it. His fiscally conservative approach is so darn appealing. He urges cities to make smart, incremental, and financially solvent improvements that won’t leave future generations with holes in their pockets.
If you love your city and want to see it thrive, buy this book and gift it to your city council members pronto.
zeteticzymurgy's review
4.0
This book was really interesting, not least because i moved to the suburbs three years ago and find it all at minimum strange. I wanted a bit more data and analysis explanation, but I'm cognizant of the rule of thumb that every equation cuts your book sales in half so I can't grudge the author.
More critically, I wish I had just skipped the last chapter. In trying to tie a bow on the book, he really went off the rails and started talking out of his butt about religion, politics, public health, morality, ethics, etc. If he was trying to be grandiose and inspirational to end on a high note, he completely swung and missed for me ... he basically seemed full of crap yet fronting as if he had the solution to all life's problems. I didn't want to end this book feeling like I was being pressured into joining a cult; I wanted to be inspired to attend a city council meeting! Oh well.
More critically, I wish I had just skipped the last chapter. In trying to tie a bow on the book, he really went off the rails and started talking out of his butt about religion, politics, public health, morality, ethics, etc. If he was trying to be grandiose and inspirational to end on a high note, he completely swung and missed for me ... he basically seemed full of crap yet fronting as if he had the solution to all life's problems. I didn't want to end this book feeling like I was being pressured into joining a cult; I wanted to be inspired to attend a city council meeting! Oh well.
cpbartoli's review
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Overall a great resource for thinking about infrastructure and how communities can/should seek to evolve. The ideas presented in this book have been following me around for weeks -- I haven't stopped thinking about inefficient infrastructure investments and maintenance costs since I finished those chapters, and my wife is tired of hearing about it.
The author has tendency to sprinkle in a lot of anecdotal "evidence" to set the scene for the points he's trying to make, which works well for rhetorical purposes but kinda rubs me the wrong way for a book that otherwise tries to be very data-driven. I especially am taking the historical anecdotes with a grain of salt -- assertions about how ancient civilizations operated their cities and how prior generations had city planning knowledge that is now lost to time smells a little too much like retVrn rhetoric, and I'm hesitant to take seriously historical analyses from a non-historian. (Caveat: My gripe here would be greatly softened if he linked sources backing his historical references, but I consumed this in audio book form and there was no mention of any such sources.)
Otherwise, this book was eye-opening for me in helping me see infrastructure development and the growth and evolution of a community through a different lens. I don't know enough to check this myself, and haven't seen other sources confirming his analyses, but everything he describes (the inefficiency per-square-foot of modern developments, the long-term costs of maintenance outweighing the income generated, etc.) sounds plausible and provides an interesting (if a little alarming) way to view the infrastructure we interact with every day.
I also really appreciate the sections of the book beginning to discuss how we move forward from here. It's not exactly a checklist, but I think it's a great resource for planners and activists to start to nudge their communities in a different (stronger) direction. I'll almost certainly be picking up a physical copy to use as a reference in the future!
The author has tendency to sprinkle in a lot of anecdotal "evidence" to set the scene for the points he's trying to make, which works well for rhetorical purposes but kinda rubs me the wrong way for a book that otherwise tries to be very data-driven. I especially am taking the historical anecdotes with a grain of salt -- assertions about how ancient civilizations operated their cities and how prior generations had city planning knowledge that is now lost to time smells a little too much like retVrn rhetoric, and I'm hesitant to take seriously historical analyses from a non-historian. (Caveat: My gripe here would be greatly softened if he linked sources backing his historical references, but I consumed this in audio book form and there was no mention of any such sources.)
Otherwise, this book was eye-opening for me in helping me see infrastructure development and the growth and evolution of a community through a different lens. I don't know enough to check this myself, and haven't seen other sources confirming his analyses, but everything he describes (the inefficiency per-square-foot of modern developments, the long-term costs of maintenance outweighing the income generated, etc.) sounds plausible and provides an interesting (if a little alarming) way to view the infrastructure we interact with every day.
I also really appreciate the sections of the book beginning to discuss how we move forward from here. It's not exactly a checklist, but I think it's a great resource for planners and activists to start to nudge their communities in a different (stronger) direction. I'll almost certainly be picking up a physical copy to use as a reference in the future!
marktm's review
5.0
Insightful reading into some real world topics that many of us take for granted. Essential for anyone who cares about community development.
jkorth's review
2.0
This book is a slog, and hard to get through even though Marohn is preaching to the choir in this case. I would find it difficult to imagine that this book will sway those who are not already on the author's side.
lydiaj1020's review
5.0
I recommend this book for people interested in finances, urban planning, local government, social/physical infrastructure, environmental engineering, and other related fields. I’m an environmental scientist with an interest in engineering, urban planning, and sociology. So many of Marohn’s themes align with those interests.
I enjoy how abstract concepts are explained via basic metaphors. The accessibility of this book is a strong point. In addition, the author presents many practical approaches and admits former mistakes humbly.
I enjoy how abstract concepts are explained via basic metaphors. The accessibility of this book is a strong point. In addition, the author presents many practical approaches and admits former mistakes humbly.