Required Readings

[biguc]

This thread is for posting articles about city planning and architecture that you would recommend everyone in this forum read. Some of us are really into this stuff and love to read about the things that make cities tick. All of us could stand to learn more.

I joined this forum back in 2002. I was 16. I thought big freeways and skyscrapers were the hallmarks of great cities.

Fortunately for my dumb ass, a lot of really patient, really passionate people on this forum took the time to respond to my uninformed rants with real arguments and information. Under their tutelage, I learned that freeways are only good for blowing past things and skyscrapers are best from a distance. Now, don't get me wrong, blowing past skyscrapers on a freeway is pretty cool, but there's so much more to experiencing a city, and so much more to making a city great.

I don't have the patience of the people who brought me along. I barely post here anymore. But I have seen a lot of new posters come and go without getting the opportunity to learn what I did. Thinking about cities is probably my third favorite hobby, after masturbating and drinking. So, if we can create a few more urbanism geeks, or whatever, and elevate the level of conversation here, this forum--and our cities--can only get better.



I talked to Adrian about this idea almost a year ago before I forgot to keep posting here. He said if it turned out to be helpful to everyone in the Manitoba and Saskatchewan section he'd sticky it. I can't imagine it not being helpful, but I guess we'll see. I, for one, am pretty excited to see what turns up.

One last thing, I don't have any real power over this but nobody wants this to be full of clutter. This thread will work best if there are more posts with links than not.

[biguc]

First, I offer you all a bit of writing and video I just posted in a comment I made in another thread. It's topic is the dreadful "stroad", bane of drivers and pedestrians.

http://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2...l#.UuAmnRDnaUk



Second, a bit about what makes old buildings special and irreplaceable:
http://www.urbanindy.com/2013/01/09/...nal-buildings/

[steveosnyder]

Well, I'll add my few:

First, New World Economics (http://www.newworldeconomics.com/arc...tyarchive.html). Read the whole thing if you can, but if you don't have the time, my personal favorite is the "How To Make a Pile of Dough With the Traditional City" posts.

Andrew Price's Blog: (http://www.andrewalexanderprice.com/blog.php)
He talks about how narrow streets make for more livable areas. Looking at this blog you'll see where I get most of the pictures I post here. Human Scale Streets and Copy and Paste Towns are my 2 favorite posts. The second one reminds me of Winnipeg and this forum when another chain restaurant gets added.

For a local twist, architect Steve Cohlmeyer's news articles (though I can't take credit for this, I think TV pointed me to these): http://www.cohlarch.ca/eng/3_writ_articles.htm

And a few actual books: Suburban Nation by Andres Duany, Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough, and Cities and the Wealth of Nations by Jane Jacobs

[HomeInMyShoes]

Wrestling with Moses by Anthony Flint was a good read on how Jane Jacobs, now one of our most beloved lovers of cities and neighbourhoods, worked to prevent the large scale demolition of neighbourhoods for highways.

I enjoyed The Geography of Nowhere by Howard Kunstler. While a little heavy handed it has some good information on what makes a place a place. I've pretty much had it with Regina deciding that downtown should look like suburbia in any North American city. It's disgusting and useless. Rant off.

One of my favourite books is The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch which talks about how we wayfind within cities based on a model of nodes, edges and landmarks. Even if you don't read the three case studies the first half of the book is useful for building navigable environments.

Of course Jane Jacobs The Death and Life of Great American Cities should be on everyone's list to read.

[Cyro]

biguc, I think this is a fine thread, and fellow posters, experienced or just casual readers should learn more about the topic and opinions you want to convey from your experiences and interests. It will benefit some, others not so much.

But I found the title of this thread misleading, "Required Reading".?

This is a tag line I'd use to promote on a website I designed to get readers to click a link not knowing where their going next, for hits, page views or a possible sale. I realize this was not your intention but maybe a thread title explaining why we should read further or continue on with the actual topic you would like to express would benifit readers more?

You feel that it is required reading and all should learn more in your OP, but blind links to the unknown are somewhat misleading in my opinion.

Intereting view and topic though.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by biguc

First, I offer you all a bit of writing and video I just posted in a comment I made in another thread. It's topic is the dreadful "stroad", bane of drivers and pedestrians.

http://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2...l#.UuAmnRDnaUk



Second, a bit about what makes old buildings special and irreplaceable:
http://www.urbanindy.com/2013/01/09/...nal-buildings/

Thanks for posting, some links to good blogs!

[alittle1]

Looked at the heading and thought I would give it a try. Very interesting and a new approach by someone so young, I like it. Did do some of the required reading and I like this article on the Future of the Automobile, http://www.andrewalexanderprice.com/...p#.UuFzdPvnZDA .

Keep them coming, I'm interested.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Wrestling with Moses by Anthony Flint was a good read on how Jane Jacobs, now one of our most beloved lovers of cities and neighbourhoods, worked to prevent the large scale demolition of neighbourhoods for highways.

I enjoyed The Geography of Nowhere by Howard Kunstler. While a little heavy handed it has some good information on what makes a place a place. I've pretty much had it with Regina deciding that downtown should look like suburbia in any North American city. It's disgusting and useless. Rant off.

One of my favourite books is The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch which talks about how we wayfind within cities based on a model of nodes, edges and landmarks. Even if you don't read the three case studies the first half of the book is useful for building navigable environments.

Of course Jane Jacobs The Death and Life of Great American Cities should be on everyone's list to read.

Good list -- I've read Death and Life and The Geography of Nowhere, but not the other two. I'll have to check them out.

And if anyone here hasn't seen it before, Planetizen is also a great place for urban reading.

[Komatiite]

I've read Death and Life and Walking Home, but as one with a science degree I realize there's a difference between a book you can buy at Chapters and a technical paper behind a paywall.

Can anyone recommend a textbook (or some good review papers) on city planning that one could conceivably pick up at the U of M bookstore or Amazon?

I'm starting to understand the broad themes, but I want to start reducing them.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by Komatiite

I've read Death and Life and Walking Home, but as one with a science degree I realize there's a difference between a book you can buy at Chapters and a technical paper behind a paywall.

Can anyone recommend a textbook (or some good review papers) on city planning that one could conceivably pick up at the U of M bookstore or Amazon?

I'm starting to understand the broad themes, but I want to start reducing them.

I've never taken City Planning, but here is the syllabus for first year Planning Theory at U of M. It has a list of peer reviewed articles and a few required and supplimental texts.

[Komatiite]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

I've never taken City Planning, but here is the syllabus for first year Planning Theory at U of M. It has a list of peer reviewed articles and a few required and supplimental texts.

Beauty - thanks!

[steveosnyder]

Thought I would bump this thread and add a few pieces I think people here might like...

http://www.uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-direction
http://places.designobserver.com/med..._Alter_806.pdf

[Cyro]

Very Useful Link:

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by Cyro

Very Useful Link:

Here's some of the highlights:

11. Do not double post (post the same message twice in one thread) or cross post (place the same message across several forums).

14. When replying to a post, do not quote more from the previous post than you have to.

22. Do not post ”empty” or useless responses, such as just ”lol” or ”cool.” Only post responses when you have something to contribute.

23. Write concisely and do not ramble.

[Cyro]

I'm glad you found some highlights or tips that you feel are relevent to forum posting on SSP.

I found this tip more relevent then most on this particular forum, as it is unique and different than many others.

25. Do not chastise newbies.

It's tough to to keep new posters around, when veteran posters don't give them time to adapt or learn the "ground rules", of posting on a sometimes very technical topic related forum and when mistakes are made in a post, it becomes like a pack of hungry lions waiting to pounce. Give them some time and guidance or a polite correction.

I somewhat agree with #23 but everyone rambles at one time or another when they feel strongly about a certain topic, I let that one go.
"Write concisely", not everyone is an eloquent writer and can convey their thoughts in a post like some can, you can only express your thoughts to the best of your abilities. Much latitude can be given on the interpretation of this "tip".

#11 Is obvious but on SSP re-posting photos or information in let's say the construction thread to a related project thread or the Canadian thread, 3 posts, should be encouraged
and is how this forum functions.

Forum to Forum? You'd have to supply an example of SSP to another non related construction site.

[thebasketballgeek]

Originally Posted by Cyro

25. Do not chastise newbies.

It's tough to to keep new posters around, when veteran posters don't give them time to adapt or learn the "ground rules", of posting on a sometimes very technical topic related forum and when mistakes are made in a post, it becomes like a pack of hungry lions waiting to pounce. Give them some time and guidance or a polite correction.

That was a great rule that was on their. I'm wondering when do people become veterans on this page. I have been on here since Nov so am I a newbie?

[Cyro]

Don't worry about titles, the number of posts you have or how long you've been posting on this forum or for that matter any blog or forum, to me it is quite irrelevant in my opinion.

There is no set time/or amount of posts that would classify someone as a veteran/newbie/expert etc...It doesn't matter.

Just use common courtesy and respect, treat others like you would like to be treated, and this goes both ways. For new and old posters. Have fun with it.

[biguc]

Since people are freaking out about the prospect of mixed traffic at Portage and Main again, here are some articles on places in Europe that eliminated traffic signs and actually encouraged more pedestrian-vehicle interaction, with the counter-intuitive result of better safety. Imagine that: the old ways work.

http://www.dw.de/european-towns-remo...er/a-2143663-1

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/com...-or-calm/5152/

[WoodlandCritter]

I would have to suggest two books. Didn't see them mentioned already but maybe I missed them.

Aldo Rossi - The Architecture of the City

and

Italo Calvino - Invisible Cities

Both good, but different, reads on the idea of what a city is.

[steveosnyder]

Not really required reading, but everyone here should watch these videos/read along with them. A great talk about the economy (in a simple sense, if you're actually into economic talk you might find it a little elementary) and more specifically, government borrowing and debt.

http://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse