A city planner by trade, speck is aware of what works and doesnt work in creating and maintaining thriving metropolises. The very idea of a modern metropolis evokes visions of bustling sidewalks, vital mass transit, and a vibrant, pedestrianfriendly urban core. Jeff speck is a city planner and urban designer who, through writing, lectures, and built work, advocates internationally for more walkable cities. Jeff speck, author of walkable city city planner jeff speck says walking will remain a choice in most american cities for years to come, but that its important to incentivize. To address this, speck created a ten step list cited in its entirety below with each chapter describing the facets. His 2012 book, walkable citywhich the christian science.
How downtown can save america, one step at a time by jeff speck. Dec 07, 2012 jeff specks walkable city a recipe for vibrant street life. In the 2012 book walkable city, jeff speck writes that cites can be walkable only if walking is useful, safe, comfortable and interesting. In his new book walkable city rules, he puts meat on the bones of this prescription, explaining how cities can achieve this goal.
Sarah susanka, architect and author of the not so big house series and the not so big life with walkable city, jeff speck demonstrated that he is the most relevant writer and thinker of his generation on the subject of city. The 101 rules are practical yet engagingworded for arguments at the planning commission, illustrated for clarity. June 14, 20 in his 2012 book, walkable city, jeff speck, coauthor of suburban nation and the smart growth manual, branches out on his own to nail down a comprehensive guide to walkability. Jeff specks followup to his bestselling walkable city is the resource that cities and citizens need to usher in an era of renewed street life. The goals are often clear, but the path is seldom easy. In softcover nonfiction, jeff speck paces the city streets and. How downtown can save america, one step at a time, and suburban nation.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read walkable city. The worst idea americans have ever had is urban sprawl, and it is being emulated in other countries. How downtown can save america, one step at a time, in which he. Speck visited the mining city to study the city and to lead a buttesilver bowsponsored.
He is an advocate for new urbanism and more walkable cities and has given ted talks on the subjects. Feb 07, 20 the obvious solution is to make the city more walkable but many efforts to design cities as a place to walk have failed as well, often due to their halfhearted nature or lack of understanding of what makes a city walkable. The book is written to where even if youre not a city. It might just be the difference between seinfeld and the partridge family, friends and the brady bunch. Sep 18, 2012 jeff speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities thrive. Author and city planner jeff speck stands at broadway and wyoming streets wednesday in uptown butte. There is no single document poised to have a greater positive impact on our communities and on the practice of urban planning than this comprehensive and engaging text. Mar 25, 2014 jeff speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities thrive. Jeff speck s two ted talks have been viewed more than 4 million times. Walkable city ebook by jeff speck 9781429945967 rakuten kobo. It was interesting to read about city planning and the economic, environmental, and design considerations that come together to create a walkable city. Jeff speck is a city planner and urban designer who, through writing, lectures, and built work, advocates internationally for smart growth and sustainable design. Walkable city in the west downtown billings alliance.
Making downtown into a walkable, viable community is the essential fix for the typical american city. Jeff specks two ted talks have been viewed more than 4 million times. At a deeper level, speck reveals how our spaces shape our behavior, whether or not were aware of it. It is an intellectual revolution, in the words of author jeff speck, thats made millennials favor walkable urban living over the automotivebound suburbia of their parents. Cities work best when people can safely and easily walk to most if not all aspects of their daily. So while the book is called walkable city it also gives invaluable insight into other elements. But in the typical american city, the car is still king, and downtown is a place thats easy to drive to but often not.
David owen, staff writer at the new yorker nearly every us city would like to be more walkablefor reasons of health, wealth, and the environmentyet few are taking the proper steps to get there. City planner jeff speck shares his general theory of walkability four planning principles to transform sprawling cities of sixlane highways and 600foot blocks into safe, walkable oases full of bike lanes and treelined streets. Cities are the future of the human race, and jeff speck knows how to make them work. How downtown can save america, one step at a time falls into the category of nobrainer. Timely and important, a delightful, insightful, irreverent work. How downtown can save america, one step at a time kindle. But in the typical american city, the car is still kin. He has authored or coauthored several books on urban planning, including his 2012 book, walkable city. Dec 16, 2019 unlike most planning books, which set their sights for twenty, sometimes fifty, years into the future, specks book is for now.
Instead, speck aims to show how we can deliberately plan urban spaces to be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting. Jeff speck does a great job of blending, analogies, stories, statistic, studies, and facts into one book. Paul goldberger, pulitzer prizewinning architecture critic and author of why architecture matters with walkable city, jeff speck demonstrates why he is among the most relevant and engaging writers on urban design today. How downtown can save america, one step at a time ebook written by jeff speck. Jeff speck is a city planner and the author of walkable city. See all books authored by jeff speck, including walkable city. Read walkable city how downtown can save america, one step at a time by jeff speck available from rakuten kobo. Walkablecity rules is a doers guide to making change in cities, and making it now. Every two months, somewhere in the united states, we would gather eight mayors and eight designers, lock ourselves in a room for two days, and try to solve each mayors most pressing cityplanning challenge. Cities work best when people can safely and easily walk to most if not all aspects of their. Mayors institute on city design, which puts city leaders together with designers for intensive planning sessions. Freedom from cars, freedom from sprawl, freedom to walk your city. Nov, 2012 a city planner offers a blueprint for making midsize american cities more pedestrianfriendly. The rise of sprawl and the decline of the american dream, 2000, etc.
Why you should listen jeff speck is a city planner and architectural designer who, through writing, lectures, and built work, advocates internationally for more walkable cities. Often times you see authors struggle to find that balance, or they have a book that is composed of 70% analogies and 30% facts, or like 90%. Nov 12, 20 walkable city is an eloquent ode to the livable city and to the values behind it. Nov 16, 2012 walkable city is an eloquent ode to the livable city and to the values behind it.
In jeff specks excellent new book, walkable city, he suggests that there are ten keys to creating walkability. Oct 09, 2018 an excerpt from jeff specks walkable city rules, a stepbystep guide to fixing americas cities and towns. He blames many of his fellow planners for the big mistakes of repeatedly designing cities for the swift movement. With walkable city, jeff speck demonstrates why he is among the most relevant and engaging writers on urban design today. A howto manual for fixing badly planned cities citylab. Dec 02, 20 speck deserves the widest possible readership. Jeff speck, aicp, cnua, leedap, honorary asla, is a city planner and the author of several books, most recently walkable city rules. Speck addresses usefulness by focusing on zoning and transit. Jeff speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities. As the former director of design at the national endowment for the arts, he oversaw the mayors institute on city design, where he worked with dozens of american mayors on their most pressing city planning challenges. Jeff specks walkable city a recipe for vibrant street. Speck is the coauthor of suburban nation, which the wall street journal calls the urbanists bible.
With his new book, walkable city rules, he establishes himself as the most helpful. Jeff speck s followup to his bestselling walkable city is the resource that cities and citizens need to usher in an era of renewed street life. Jeff specks walkable city a recipe for vibrant street life. Leedap, honorary asla, is a city planner and the author of several books, most. A city planner offers a blueprint for making midsize american cities more pedestrianfriendly. Nov, 2012 jeff speck, coauthor of the landmark bestseller suburban nation, is a city planner who advocates for smart growth and sustainable design. Local motion, in partnership with the chittenden county regional planning commission, aarp, uvm, and the burlington business association, will host an event series on october 1617th featuring jeff speck, an internationally recognized city planner, and author.
An excerpt from jeff specks walkable city rules, a stepbystep guide to fixing americas cities and towns. His more recent book, walkable city, was the best selling city planning title of 202016. Walkable city gives great insight into the differences between inviting cities and hard to maneuver cities. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
Jeff speck books list of books by author jeff speck. Join us for a public presentation with jeff speck on the economic promise of walkable and bikable communities, on the ways we can reshape our public spaces so they improve our quality of life, and on the benefits of designing streets that belong to everyone. Prior to joining the endowment, speck spent ten years as. Unlike most planning books, which set their sights for twenty, sometimes fifty, years into the future, specks book is for now.
How downtown can save america, one step at a time speck, jeff on. If you grew up, as i did, in a pedestrian city, much of jeff specks walkable city. As director of design at the national endowment for the arts, he oversaw the mayors institute on city design and created the governors institute on community design. How downtown can save america, one step at a time, is worth a read for its acerbic wit, alone. The christian science monitora best book of the year a. Walkable city is an eloquent ode to the livable city and to the values behind it. Paul goldberger, pulitzer prizewinning architecture critic and author of why architecture matters with walkable city, jeff speck demonstrates why he is. With walkable city, jeff speck demonstrated that he is the most relevant writer and thinker of his generation on the subject of city planning.
Walkable city rules is sure to change the face of neighborhoods, towns, and cities around this country and beyond. Creating a walkable city means restricting urban driving. Jeff speck, a city planner and former director of design at the national endowment for the arts, talks about his book, walkable city. Walkable city rules is a doers guide to making change in cities, and making it now. In his book, walkable city, speck says urban walks. Its sequel, walkable city rules, is described by kurt andersen as a must read for urbanists, city builders, and everyone who lives in. But jeff speck does a good job of balancing all these elements out leading to a dynamic and fun book. Kaid benfield, the atlantic cities jeff speck, aicp, is one of the few practitioners and writers in the field who can make a 312page book on a basic planning concept seem too short. I wish i had walkable city rules fifteen years ago, to distribute to mayors, city administrators, dot engineers, and developers. This is a great read for anyone interested in design but also in local development. Jeff speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities thrive.
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