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lspargo's review against another edition
4.0
Weird timing. Read this along with a friend who had to read it for grad school. Very interesting book about the importance of social infrastructure, and how building social communities is very important and has surprisingly wide reaching and long lasting positive effects.
caitfoges's review against another edition
4.0
I was inspired to read Palaces for the People after listening to an exceptional episode of the same name on the 99% Invisible podcast. The podcast episode focused almost entirely on libraries, which I loved. Part of me wishes Klinenberg had taken this same course with the book; some of the chapters/examples he included felt disjointed. Many of them were quite interesting by their own merit, but the overall argument of the book did not flow as well as I would have liked.
I also feel like Klinenberg did not go as far with his argument as he could have. His point that we are in dire need of better social infrastructure--actual physical, shared spaces where people have the chance to connect and improve as a whole--was well made. However, how exactly do we make sure that these vital social infrastructure projects get the funding that they deserve? What would successful implementation of these ideas require? To fully address these questions, I think Klinenberg would need to get more political than his apparent non-partisan stance allows. In my opinion, the book needed a bit more direct naming and blaming. That being said, I did appreciate his clear stance on many of the most crucial issues of our time: gentrification in cities, increased polarization and isolation, the impending doom of climate change, and how these trends have the most negative impact on poor, marginalized communities around the world.
I also feel like Klinenberg did not go as far with his argument as he could have. His point that we are in dire need of better social infrastructure--actual physical, shared spaces where people have the chance to connect and improve as a whole--was well made. However, how exactly do we make sure that these vital social infrastructure projects get the funding that they deserve? What would successful implementation of these ideas require? To fully address these questions, I think Klinenberg would need to get more political than his apparent non-partisan stance allows. In my opinion, the book needed a bit more direct naming and blaming. That being said, I did appreciate his clear stance on many of the most crucial issues of our time: gentrification in cities, increased polarization and isolation, the impending doom of climate change, and how these trends have the most negative impact on poor, marginalized communities around the world.
chughes120's review against another edition
4.0
How social as well as physical infrastructure systems shape equality and quality of life. It’s interesting, if not a bit idealistic, and even though there’s not a lot do groundbreaking information in here, it’s a good reminder about the importance of often overlooked or underfunded systems.
dashac's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
was so good! i learned some new things and appreciated how current it is
lilmisssouthernyn's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
leslielu67's review against another edition
3.0
In a nutshell: build (support) public libraries and other institutions (levees-slash-bike paths, community gardens) that bring diverse people together so that we don't all die in the next weather disaster. Decent book, but every now and then Klinenberg is prone to sweeping generalizations. He also laments the move toward private beaches in California, but every planner should know that all beaches in California are public (Nollan). I am intrigued enough that I may read his book on dating that he wrote with Aziz Ansari.
rpcroke's review against another edition
3.0
I really, really, really wanted to like this book but came away underwhelmed. I cannot agree more with the author's premise but his argument seems unorganized. He takes an extraordinarily broad definition of what social infrastructure is - and admits so in the book - and then proceeds to write 100 pages of anecdotes and policy wishes better suited for a political candidate. In fact, his last paragraph in the book pleas for rebuilding infrastructure, a super-set of social infrastructure, and his entire thesis is lost.
Moreover, he uses loads of correlations to try and prove points. Where is the causality? Every once in a while he throws in the (paraphrasing here) "though not definitely proving a causal effect, the study implies..." which I find a bit dishonest.
I'm a bookstore and library enthusiast, a wannabe bibliophile, so I badly want to support the book. It comes off as pressed, like it's forcing an issue. The author seems like a great writer but there was no emotion here. I recently read Dopesick where you could feel the author's pain in every sentence. This book was just so damn academic.
Moreover, he uses loads of correlations to try and prove points. Where is the causality? Every once in a while he throws in the (paraphrasing here) "though not definitely proving a causal effect, the study implies..." which I find a bit dishonest.
I'm a bookstore and library enthusiast, a wannabe bibliophile, so I badly want to support the book. It comes off as pressed, like it's forcing an issue. The author seems like a great writer but there was no emotion here. I recently read Dopesick where you could feel the author's pain in every sentence. This book was just so damn academic.
niniane's review against another edition
The chapter about libraries is interesting.
I stopped because the book has too much content that I already read elsewhere, such as the ills of social media, Bowling Alone, broken windows theory leading to discriminatory policing.
I stopped because the book has too much content that I already read elsewhere, such as the ills of social media, Bowling Alone, broken windows theory leading to discriminatory policing.
jwsg's review against another edition
4.0
When we think of infrastructure, we often think of so-called "hard infrastructure" - things like transport networks, sewage systems, water mains and less tangible things like finance infrastructure. In Palaces for the People, Klinenberg draws attention to the importance of social infrastructure, "the physical conditions that determine whether social capital [this refers to the relationships and interpersonal networks people have] develops" and, in turn, shapes how resilient a society is when it comes under stress. When hard infrastructure fails, the outcome is disastrous. But Klinenberg cautions that we ignore the importance of soft infrastructure at our own peril; when hard infrastructure fails, “it’s the softer, social infrastructure that determines our fate” as evidenced by how different communities fare during heat waves, hurricanes, floods and other events that knock out hard infrastructure.
Essentially, social infrastructure works by creating spaces where “all kinds of people can gather”. This would include places like libraries, sports facilities, schools, playgrounds, parks, places of worship, even commercial establishments like bookstores and cafes. The key phrase here is “all kinds of people”. By encountering others very different from ourselves, “people whose bodies are different, whose styles are different, who make different sounds, speak different languages”, we learn to “deal with these differences in a civil manner” and to engage with difference.
“Palaces for the People”, the title of this book, is the term Andrew Carnegie used to describe his vision for the 2,811 lending libraries he funded, or which 1,679 are in the US. Libraries were meant to inspire, to uplift, to provide some escape and relief from the daily pressures of life. Klinenberg therefore delves into some detail on the critical (albeit undervalued) role of libraries in our social infrastructure. The core mission of libraries is to “help people elevate themselves and improve their situation….principally, by providing free access to the widest possible variety of cultural materials to people of all ages, from all ethnicities and groups.” They serve the diverse needs of different groups – culture and companionship for the elderly, exposure and education for children and youths, a safe haven for teenagers and the homeless, a social space for parents and families, for instance.
Klinenberg argues that it is not about thinking in terms of dualities – funding and building hard infrastructure versus funding and building social infrastructure. Rather, it is about thinking about how the design of infrastructure, the programming of spaces, can support the gathering of different kinds of people and promote interaction between them. Could a levee built for flood prevention also serve as a park for people to gather at? Rather than designing spaces and processes for efficiency, might we design them for connection and engagement? (For instance, Klinenberg cites the example of childcare facilities, which can have drop-off and pick-up processes designed for efficiency, or processes that promote interactions between parents. Another example he uses is the effort in NYC to break up large schools into several smaller institutions where there is greater interaction and relationship building between students, teachers and parents.) When houses or plots of land are left vacant, can we transform them into spaces that draw the community in, like community gardens, versus turning them away?
Importantly, Klinenberg makes a distinction between infrastructure and spaces that build “bonding capital”, versus those that build “bridging capital”. Bonding capital deepens your sense of connection with those like you. Bridging capital builds connections with those different from you. Country clubs build bonding capital. Places of worship and organized sports teams, depending on how inclusive or homogenous they are, can build either bridging or bonding capital.
Accessibly written, Palaces for the People is an eye opening read that will make you take a closer look at how infrastructure and spaces are designed and programmed.
Essentially, social infrastructure works by creating spaces where “all kinds of people can gather”. This would include places like libraries, sports facilities, schools, playgrounds, parks, places of worship, even commercial establishments like bookstores and cafes. The key phrase here is “all kinds of people”. By encountering others very different from ourselves, “people whose bodies are different, whose styles are different, who make different sounds, speak different languages”, we learn to “deal with these differences in a civil manner” and to engage with difference.
“Palaces for the People”, the title of this book, is the term Andrew Carnegie used to describe his vision for the 2,811 lending libraries he funded, or which 1,679 are in the US. Libraries were meant to inspire, to uplift, to provide some escape and relief from the daily pressures of life. Klinenberg therefore delves into some detail on the critical (albeit undervalued) role of libraries in our social infrastructure. The core mission of libraries is to “help people elevate themselves and improve their situation….principally, by providing free access to the widest possible variety of cultural materials to people of all ages, from all ethnicities and groups.” They serve the diverse needs of different groups – culture and companionship for the elderly, exposure and education for children and youths, a safe haven for teenagers and the homeless, a social space for parents and families, for instance.
Klinenberg argues that it is not about thinking in terms of dualities – funding and building hard infrastructure versus funding and building social infrastructure. Rather, it is about thinking about how the design of infrastructure, the programming of spaces, can support the gathering of different kinds of people and promote interaction between them. Could a levee built for flood prevention also serve as a park for people to gather at? Rather than designing spaces and processes for efficiency, might we design them for connection and engagement? (For instance, Klinenberg cites the example of childcare facilities, which can have drop-off and pick-up processes designed for efficiency, or processes that promote interactions between parents. Another example he uses is the effort in NYC to break up large schools into several smaller institutions where there is greater interaction and relationship building between students, teachers and parents.) When houses or plots of land are left vacant, can we transform them into spaces that draw the community in, like community gardens, versus turning them away?
Importantly, Klinenberg makes a distinction between infrastructure and spaces that build “bonding capital”, versus those that build “bridging capital”. Bonding capital deepens your sense of connection with those like you. Bridging capital builds connections with those different from you. Country clubs build bonding capital. Places of worship and organized sports teams, depending on how inclusive or homogenous they are, can build either bridging or bonding capital.
Accessibly written, Palaces for the People is an eye opening read that will make you take a closer look at how infrastructure and spaces are designed and programmed.