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duparker's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting take on census data documenting that growing numbers of people are moving back into central cities, and that minorities and working class peoples are more often living on the outskirts of cities. This is a return to patterns that existed in Europe 200 years ago.
The book lays out examples of these trends that occur in cities around the US. The ideas are interesting and the trends are documented with data, however the overall impact and examples suffer from lack of reinforcement of the data with discussion. It is all well and good to discuss the example of Atlanta's suburbs, but the lack of discussion about the forces driving people to the suburbs takes away from the book.
I found the chapter on Denver and the desire to create urban areas out of suburban commercial areas to be the most interesting along with allusions to the lack of desire by 20 -30 year olds to having cars and a strong coloration to the benefits of transit to encouraging the return to an urban form. The introduction and conclusion were the best parts of the book, I found. The examples in between were helpful and fleshed out some of the ideas, but they also missed opportunities to explore causes more thoroughly. Also, for a book that praises New York and Boston so heavily to not have dedicated chapters to them was odd.
If I could give half stars this would be 3.5.
The book lays out examples of these trends that occur in cities around the US. The ideas are interesting and the trends are documented with data, however the overall impact and examples suffer from lack of reinforcement of the data with discussion. It is all well and good to discuss the example of Atlanta's suburbs, but the lack of discussion about the forces driving people to the suburbs takes away from the book.
I found the chapter on Denver and the desire to create urban areas out of suburban commercial areas to be the most interesting along with allusions to the lack of desire by 20 -30 year olds to having cars and a strong coloration to the benefits of transit to encouraging the return to an urban form. The introduction and conclusion were the best parts of the book, I found. The examples in between were helpful and fleshed out some of the ideas, but they also missed opportunities to explore causes more thoroughly. Also, for a book that praises New York and Boston so heavily to not have dedicated chapters to them was odd.
If I could give half stars this would be 3.5.
jm5004's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
A mediocre book about urbanism. Ehrenhalt describes the highs and lows of the last fifty years of urban planning but is unable to make any predictions beyond the title theory of a 'great inversion.' If more time had been spent spelling out the consequences of said inversion, it'd be a more engaging read. Yet, there are a lot of 'reasonable people think x might occur' and 'others can conceive of y happening' in lieu of thickly describing a new urban future.
Despite this, the author's descriptions of modern city centers were engaging, enlightening, and even occasionally literary. They were enough to keep me going through the indecisiveness.
Despite this, the author's descriptions of modern city centers were engaging, enlightening, and even occasionally literary. They were enough to keep me going through the indecisiveness.
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