Over the past decade, there have been several significant landmarks demonstrating the evolution of urban planning around the world. New technical processes on land development have shaped the political background for land use. Cities are being revamped with advancements in the field of infrastructure, communications, transportation, distribution networks, and the environment.
In India, the social movement for urban planning has reflected great momentum since the 2010s. Suburban areas are becoming a part of the city perimeters, while urbanization is also transforming large, populous villages into modular towns. To gain knowledge on how to use the land for urban developments, a high number of students are enrolling in urban planning courses in India.
To expand their knowledge on urban planning, students can make great use of these following five books that showcase how urban settlements and cities evolved in the past ten years.
#1 The BLDGBLOG Book
Founder of the popular website BLDGBLOG, Geoff Manaugh, makes a leading document on how landscape, architecture, and the constructed environment can shape the future of cities. In this book, he specifically explores the underground urban elements such as subways, sewers, and even nuclear bunkers. The book also focuses on landscape advancements, the impact of climate change on urban design, and architectural acoustics.
#2 The Divided City: Poverty and Prosperity in Urban America
The author Alan Mallach explores the widespread importance of racial dynamics in the urban society of the US and how it influences the failures and successes of city developments. The book teaches us the process of how US citizens addressed the challenges of their cities to come up with solutions that fostered better opportunity and racial equality.
#3 Cities for People
Award-winning Danish architect Jan Gehl penned comprehensive research on how people transform urban environments. The book showcases the practices employed by people in making the use of workspaces and living environments. Key architectural factors discussed in this book showcase how a city can be developed properly with the involvement of its inhabitants and by following a set of important urban planning principles.
#4 Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time
The author Jeff Speck shares his dedication towards understanding how US cities thrive in their modern-day cultures. This book specifically focuses on one key factor – making urban places walkable. Architectural inputs from this book signify the need for open spaces, pavements, and non-congested urban environments. It discusses how urban walks can be key to the development of a city. From bustling sidewalks and mass transit facilities to all the pedestrian-friendly urban zones, this book sheds light on the importance of how people need safe areas to walk around their city.
#5 Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change
Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia express their faith in making cities tactically urban. This book introduces the concept of tactical urbanism, where the city can become a perfect laboratory to try out and test new urban designs and ideas. The book discusses how cities should be more smart and chaotic instead of dumb and orderly.
More Great Books on Urban Planning
In addition to these five great works, the following books on urban planning are also popular for discussing new concepts on how urban lands can be transformed to meet the demands of the people living there.
- The Color of Law: The Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
- Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design
- Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution
- The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt’s New World
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
- Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land-Use Regulation
As the year 2020 kick-starts, it is going to be interesting to witness how the future of urban planning would shape up in the next decade.
