Planners Book Club — April 2007

True Urbanism

True Urbanism was the April 2007 selection of APA's Planners Book Club.

Mark Hinshaw has a proposition for Americans: Come out of your bunker, throw open the gate, and meet the neighborhood. In True Urbanism, he introduces those who have already done just that and explains what cities can do to make true urbanism possible. He rejoices in the growing number of people rejecting sterile, paint-by-numbers subdivisions in favor of rich, vibrant, and unpredictable urban neighborhoods. His vivid account of cities small and large emerging from the cobwebs of late 20th century development will show communities with lingering antiurban tendencies how to embrace density as destiny.

Hinshaw included the following discussion questions in True Urbanism:

How will aging baby boomers influence residential development in the next three decades?

It's long been a truism that young couples will abandon the city when they have children. Is this changing?

There is evidence that the popularity of in-town living is on the rise even in places without a long tradition of dense residential development, including cities in the western part of the country, where there is ample room for "horizontal" expansion. What is driving this change?

Much of the research on downtown living has focused on large cities, but there is anecdotal evidence that the trend is affecting inner-ring suburbs and smaller cities, too. Do you see evidence of this in your area?

Journalists have observed a correlation between high-density areas and liberal or Democratic voting patterns. Do you think this correlation exists? If it does, what are its long-term implications?

If we are nearing the a peak in oil production, with attendant sky-high fuel prices, what will this mean for low-density, centerless suburbs?

As more people choose to live in high-density areas, what will this mean for public investments and services?

Some U.S. cities are attracting the relatively well-off (because of amenities) and the relatively poor (because of subsidized housing and services). Is it necessary for cities to find ways to accommodate the middle class? How can they do this?

What steps can cities take to encourage in-town living and higher density?

Once in-town living has been established in a city, what steps should the city take to ensure "inclusionary" practices?

More about True Urbanism.