FEBRUARY 2010 » book review

Cities Are Our Future

Urban Design for an Urban Century: Placemaking for People
by Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, David Dixon, FAIA, and Oliver Gillham, AIA
John Wiley & Sons Inc., Hoboken, NJ; 2009
296 pp.; hardcover; b&w and 45 color photographs; $80
ISBN 978-0-47008-782-4

Reviewed by Hadiya Strasberg

In 1956, Jose Luis Sert spoke at the first urban design conference held at Harvard University. "The urban designer must first of all believe in cities, their importance and their value to human progress and culture," he said. Sert was dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Design (GSD) at the time, and is considered by many as the founder of the urban design field. More than five decades later, three architects and planners – all graduates from the GSD – wrote a book on the subject.

Urban Design for an Urban Century opens with the evolution of urban design and its key concepts. It is followed by a brief history of city design and of the field. Current issues are touched upon and predictions of the future of the profession and design projects are offered. It is a comprehensive introduction to the field with an overview of recent projects.

The history of urban design, from early cities discovered by archaeologists to European cities in the Middle Ages and cities of the Renaissance era, is covered in a scant eight pages. The authors spend more time on the grid plans of New York City, Savannah, GA, and Philadelphia, PA, which were established in 1607, 1683, and 1733, respectively. The Industrial Revolution is the next great step in the history of the city; it introduced changes in the scale and types of buildings and in the density of urban areas. Suburbs and zoning, the following topics covered, also play large roles in the development of the modern city, though they are not discussed at great length.

"Decentralization: The Growth of the Modern City" has its own chapter. Le Corbusier and Tony Garnier, with the influence of CIAM (Congres International d'Architecture Moderne), promoted destroying the grid system; separating pedestrians, residences, vehicles and commerce; designing around automobiles and highways; and placing tall buildings in open spaces, like Corbusier's Plan Voisin in Paris. This led to the urban renewal movement and the razing of historic city blocks and entire neighborhoods in cities across the U.S. and Europe.

"Recentralization" made a comeback in the 1950s and '60s, but by name only. Central Business Districts and slums were destroyed, highways were constructed along waterfronts in cities such as New York and Boston, MA; and monumental modern architecture took the place of pedestrian-friendly, human-scaled mixed-use neighborhoods. Areas were not only turned into single-use districts, but the block was turned into a superblock.

There was reform as early as the 1960s, and this is what the authors promote. Developments should be dense, mixed-use, mixed-income and alternate-transportation- and pedestrian-oriented. Factors such as social equity, community and sustainability must be addressed. Make places for people, urge the authors.

To support their case, the second half of the book is a collection of urban design case studies, specifically AIA Honor Award in Regional and Urban Design-winning projects that were completed between 1999 and 2009. These 70 projects, write the authors, were chosen for their wide-ranging sitings, lack of particular agenda, and time frame. This was a good choice; the studies are timely, relevant to the current trends in the field, and inclusive of various design philosophies.

Separated into six themes, the case studies are presented in chapters arranged around specific themes, rather than chronologically. This serves as a good organizer and helps to highlight the authors' points about urban design principles. Each chapter begins with the history of the theme and concludes with a review of the how the projects illustrate the principles.

Chapters include: "Guiding Regional Change and Growth," "Rediscovering Downtown and Main Street," "Reinventing Older Neighborhoods," "Reclaiming the Waterfront," "Creating the Public Realm," and "Transforming Campus into Community." The projects hail from the largest cities in the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, IL, and New York, as well as smaller towns such as Racine, WI, Warren, AR, and Ramsey, MN. A few – including The Arc in Palestine by Suisman Urban Design and Saigon South Master Plan in Vietnam by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill – are located outside of the U.S. (In all cases, the designer is American or of a U.S. firm.)

Each project is summarized in just one to two pages, which does not do them justice. To give coverage to 70 projects in 160 pages is a feat, but is it better to get a sense of the discipline in the last 10 years or would more in-depth reviews of the past four or five years suffice?

The basics are covered; project boxes provide the project name, location, designer, client, program, year of award and status. A paragraph or two on critical issues and key urban design concepts, on the other hand, can only get into so much depth. Problems such as poor transportation, sprawl, or poverty are identified in one breath and maybe five bullet points that address these conditions are listed in the next. The reader will have to research the project or design firm on his or her own. At least we are provided with enough information to do so.

Each case study is accompanied by black and white images – either photographs if the project is completed, or maps and renderings. Some projects have color plates, but these are in separate sections removed from the text. Color inserts are referenced in the text. However, that is not the case the other way around. It would have been useful to print the page numbers of the listing in the color photo caption, as it is enjoyable to skim the 45 color images.

The brevity of the case studies can be an attribute. That, combined with their organization around issues and concepts makes it very easy to understand the main points. In general, Urban Design for an Urban Century is an easy read about a timely, engaging topic. TB

WEB EXTRA: Additional photos from Urban Design for an Urban Century: Placemaking for People

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