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Title: Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream
ISBN: 0865476063
Author:
Andres Duany
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk
Jeff Speck
Publicate Date: 2001-04-16
Publish: 2001-04-16
List Price: $19.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $10.72
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $8.55
Amazon Merchant Price: $12.92
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A good intro to the problems of urban planning
I really enjoyed the book. I gave it a 4 and I think it is very well deserved. Reading my review may lead you to think otherwise because there is a lot of sharp criticism of particular aspects of the book. Overall though, the book really points out the folly of suburban planning and it helped me better understand why I am leaving the suburbs for an urban lifestyle. There are some great insights that I don't think I would have ever heard anywhere else. For example, he attributes the fact that most streets are unwalkable to firetrucks. The fire chief has to have the biggest and best firetruck so the roads have to be built to accomodate that firetruck when it is traveling to an emergency so the roads are large enough to allow everyone to speed in even the most residential areas.
Like most of us, Duany is a one tool kind of carpenter. Since he only has a hammer, everything is a nail. Mr. Duany's hammer is Seaside, Florida which he thinks is the solution to every problem. For example, when I heard him speak concerning the revitalization of midtown Atlanta, his only criticism was the fact that there were only a few developers on Peachtree street and they were all building 20 to 35 story high-rise condominiums as opposed to much smaller developments such as townhouses. He ignored the fact that land costs on Peachtree Street would make a townhouse completely unaffordable. He also seemed to have missed the fact that one block off Peachtree Street in any direction there is an abundance of single-family housing, low-rise condominiums, townhouses, etc.
I get the impression that he doesn't understand that Seaside and many of his other developments are not economically sustainable. Seaside exists because people make money somewhere else, take it to Seaside and use it to pay for a little peace of nirvana. While Seaside is certainly a great place, it would be non-existent or a slum if people didn't invest money earned elsewhere. I know he has worked on many projects and many are filled with residents that live and work in what might be calles "real jobs" as opposed to a tourist economy. However, even in those environments, the economy is supported by people that wake up in one of his bedroom communities and commute to a real city to make money.
That's my complaint in a nutshell, however, if you want a basic overview of what is wrong with Suburban America and one of many ideas how to fix it, I encourage you to take a read. The one other comment I would have about his work is that he seems to advocate pre-war bungalow style architecture above and beyond every alternative. If that is what you are looking for great, however, it is completely lacking in innovation and would eventually drive me crazy. Seaside was featured in the Truman show for a reason, because it is sickeningly sweet and completely artificial just like all the other characters.
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2: Good stuff.......
Very well written. The book makes it very easy to understand why our towns and cities are set up like they are and why some are more livable than others.
I purchased this book about five years ago and often still think about the concepts that are explained inside.
I highly recommend it.
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3: excellent, must read, but flawed
One of the best books I've read this year. Lots of things that I've
noticed over the years about places I like and don't like were summarized
and expounded upon. I hadn't quite realized the effect traffic
engineering has had on city design.
I felt that it really elucidated a lot of why people are really unhappy
with their homes, lives, and communities.
This book is extensively footnoted with lots of data to back up opinions.
There is a huge bibliography into which I'm delving.
However, where it ventures into the social and political realm, it is
less effective and borders on being one-sided and polemic.
In one example, the authors state that GM and others
killed streetcars in 50 cities to get people to take cars rather
than public transport. If you look into this a little deeper, you'll
discover that it was probably more to promote their buses, and that the
truth was a lot more complicated than that. Look up "Great American
Streetcar Scandal" at wikipedia.
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4: Read for General Interest
This book was recommended by a friend, and since Mr. Duany has been to Sarasota (where I now live) as a consultant, I decided to read it out of general interest. I was pleasantly surprised how readable it was, and many of the concepts of community that I was exposed to as a child were presented. And most importantly, it explained my preferences in leisure vacation travel for the convenient, comfortable community destinations--whether they be in large cities or in nearly rural locations. It is good reading for anyone who is or will be affected by growth or redevelopment.
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5: The "A-ha" moment
I really must thank the authors for putting this together. I just finished Suburban Nation and I now know why I'm so stressed out all the time living in this "ticky-tacky" world (to borrow a line from the Weeds theme song).
I wish I could do more to help combat sprawl at the moment. However, I'm keeping my eyes open all the time for what works, what doesn't work and I will continue to study this subject so that if and when I'm in a position to either make a move or be part of a decision making body, I will be able to intelligently make my opinion known.
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