Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities

by Michael Southworth, Eran Ben-Joseph

Explores how street standards and layouts affect a neighborhood's character and livability; shows how street design standards in Britain and the US have changed over the past two centuries; describes various street design approaches, such as the early picturesque suburbs, checkerboard grids, branching cul-de-sacs, and shared streets; and describes strategies and design guidelines for reducing sprawl and re-establishing a sense of community space. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: Urban Planning

184 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 1996

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you are curious about everyday street life in American residential neighborhods, why they are the way the are today - thanks to many years of civil and urban engineering. A very well organized and clear urban design history book. Not too much theory but good thorough background info on streets and their importance to the workings of a city/suburb.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read and enjoyable if you are into urban design and design standards.

[Olah Mohammed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for academic studies and tracing how streets developed and the forces that affected these changes.