Urban Design

99% Invisible is a big-ideas podcast about small-seeming things, revealing stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive, and the sidewalks we traverse. The show celebrates design and architecture in all of its functional glory and accidental absurdity, with intriguing tales of both designers and the people impacted by their designs.

After decades of unchecked sprawl, more people than ever are moving back to the city. Dense urban living has been prescribed as a panacea for the environmental and resource crises of our time. But is it better or worse for our happiness? Are subways, sidewalks, and tower dwelling improvements on the car dependence of sprawl?

How Real Estate Developers Think considers developers from three different perspectives. Brown profiles the careers of individual developers to illustrate the character of the entrepreneur; considers the roles played by innovation, design, marketing, and sales in the production of real estate; and examines the risks and rewards that motivate developers as people.

Urban planning is a craft learned through practice. Planners make rapid decisions that have an immediate impact on the ground - the width of streets, the minimum size of land parcels, the heights of buildings. The language they use to describe their objectives is qualitative - “sustainable,” “livable,” “resilient” - often with no link to measurable outcomes. Urban economics, on the other hand, is a quantitative science, based on theories, models, and empirical evidence largely developed in academic settings.

Imagine a serene oasis where the buzz of the city fades into the background, and nature’s symphony takes center stage. The “Urban Gardening and Raised Bed Gardening Guidebooks for Beginners Trilogy” invites you on a subtle journey to transform your urban space into a tapestry of greenery. It’s a gentle nudge towards a world where your living space becomes a canvas for botanical creativity.

Urban lives can be overwhelmingly busy. This audiobook enables you to grasp the essence of vertical gardening, as you go about your daily routine. Let the mellifluous voice of our narrator accompany your urban gardening aspirations.

Nearly every US city would like to be more walkable - for reasons of health, wealth, and the environment - yet few are taking the proper steps to get there. The goals are often clear, but the path is seldom easy. Jeff Speck’s follow-up to his best-selling Walkable City is the resource that cities and citizens need to usher in an era of renewed street life. Walkable City Rules is a doer’s guide to making change in cities, and making it now.

Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he cofounded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem.

After smartphones, smart TVs, smart windows, and other smart products on the horizon, smart cities were the next logical step in trying to create a better, brighter, more sustainable, and economically sound future. A relatively new term, smart cities conjures images of a cooperative, wired, prosperous utopia where citizens of all classes achieve a high quality of life. In this audiobook, we look at the qualities needed for future cities to survive and thrive.

Le Corbusier famously said, "A house is a machine for living in." We now confront the litany of environmental challenges associated with the legacy of the architectural machine: a changing climate, massive species die-off, diminished air and water quality, and resource scarcities. Brook Muller offers an alternative: water-centric urban design that fosters sustainability, equity, and architectural creativity.

Dive into the innovative realm of urban metamorphosis with "Reimagining Urban Landscapes"— a thought-provoking exploration into the transformation of city environments. This forward-thinking eBook is the ultimate compendium for anyone interested in the future of urban living, offering a riveting traverse across the multifaceted dimensions of urban renewal. As you embark on this journey, you will uncover the essence of urban revitalization, from its historical roots to the visionary prospects of tomorrow. Discover the paramount importance of community involvement with in-depth discussions ...

In this no-holds-barred treatise, Donald Shoup argues that free parking has contributed to auto dependence, rapid urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Planners mandate free parking to alleviate congestion but end up distorting transportation choices, debasing urban design, damaging the economy, and degrading the environment. Ubiquitous free parking helps explain why our cities sprawl on a scale fit more for cars than for people. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Segregation by Design draws on more than 100 years of quantitative and qualitative data from thousands of American cities to explore how local governments generate race and class segregation. Starting in the early 20th century, cities have used their power of land use control to determine the location and availability of housing, amenities (such as parks), and negative land uses (such as garbage dumps). The result has been segregation - first within cities and more recently between them.

Unlock the full potential of your urban living space with Build Your Dream Greenhouse, the ultimate guide for crafting a verdant oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. This comprehensive eBook walks you through everything you need to know to design, build, and maintain a small-scale greenhouse tailored to your urban environment. Ever dreamed of picking fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables right from your backyard? The journey begins with Chapter 1, where you'll explore the myriad benefits of urban greenhouses. Learn about different types of greenhouses and navigate the maze of ...

In Metropolis, the gleaming city of tomorrow, the dream of the great American city has been achieved. But all that is about to change, unless a neurotic, rule-following bureaucrat and an irreverent, freewheeling artificial intelligence can save the city from a mysterious terrorist plot that threatens its very existence.

Step into a visionary tale of urban innovation with "Blueprinting Tomorrow," an extraordinary journey into the architectonic renaissance shaping our cities' destinies. This riveting eBook reveals the impetus behind the future urbanism movement, meticulously dissecting the complex, multi-faceted beast that our cities’ planning and design have become. As you delve into Chapter 1, you will discover the quintessence of 21st-century urbanism, tracing its historical roots and witnessing the transformative power of technology on our built environments. "Blueprinting Tomorrow" doesn't just ...

In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein explodes the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation - that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies. Rather, he incontrovertibly makes clear that it was de jure segregation - the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments - that actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day.

Discover the vibrant tapestry of urban life with "The Mosaic Metropolis," your comprehensive guide to the emergent world of culturally inclusive cities. As society evolves, the urban landscape becomes a canvas for the dynamic interplay of different backgrounds, traditions, and visions. This transformative eBook invites you on a profound exploration of how cities can flourish by embracing diversity in every brick and beam. Delve into the core of what makes a city truly pulse with life in Chapter 1, where definitions and benefits encompass the panoramic view of diverse urban environments. ...

Think and Grow Rich is the number-one inspirational and motivational classic for individuals who are interested in furthering their lives and reaching their goals by learning from important figures in history. The text read in this audiobook is the original 1937 edition written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie - and while it has often been reproduced, no updated version has ever been able to compete with the original.

Discover the fascinating world of sustainable architecture and green design with "Sustainable Structures," your one-stop guide to the future of urban living. This groundbreaking new eBook dives deep into the art and science of integrating ecological principles into modern cityscapes, showcasing how innovative techniques and technologies are transforming the way we design, build, and live. "Sustainable Structures" takes you on an insightful journey through 20 comprehensive chapters, each dedicated to a crucial aspect of sustainable urban design. From the importance of nurturing healthy urban...