Urban Studies for Everyone (nonfiction) (65 books)

Listopia > Urban Studies for Everyone (nonfiction)

A list of the most essential, accessible books on city planning, governance, architecture and urban studies for the urbanist in all of us.

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1	The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs 4.29 avg rating — 20,159 ratings score: 696, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 115,082 ratings score: 688, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Dystopia: How The Tyranny of Specialists Fragment African Cities by Archimedes Muzenda (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 11 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles, and Beyond by Josh Stephens (Goodreads Author) 4.62 avg rating — 13 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier and Happier by Edward L. Glaeser 3.92 avg rating — 6,424 ratings score: 296, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck 4.32 avg rating — 8,788 ratings score: 292, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series) by Christopher W. Alexander 4.42 avg rating — 5,475 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream by Andrés Duany 4.12 avg rating — 2,666 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood by Peter Moskowitz 4.07 avg rating — 3,851 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing by Josh Ryan-Collins 4.28 avg rating — 316 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability by David Owen (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 1,593 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Urban Warfare: Housing under the Empire of Finance by Raquel Rolnik 4.24 avg rating — 150 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape by James Howard Kunstler 4.05 avg rating — 4,601 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro 4.53 avg rating — 29,662 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein 4.44 avg rating — 46,672 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Economy of Cities by Jane Jacobs 4.09 avg rating — 1,295 ratings score: 183, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Capital City: Gentrification and the Real Estate State by Samuel Stein 3.92 avg rating — 1,673 ratings score: 180, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution by David Harvey 3.92 avg rating — 2,112 ratings score: 179, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Cities and the Wealth of Nations: Principles of Economic Life by Jane Jacobs 4.10 avg rating — 669 ratings score: 179, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate Ascher 4.10 avg rating — 1,572 ratings score: 175, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape by Jill Jonnes 3.84 avg rating — 311 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street by David J. Goodwin 4.33 avg rating — 18 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Pimp Guide: Secrets of Mind Manipulation (The Pimp Game Book 2) by Mickey Royal 3.60 avg rating — 35 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Straphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile by Taras Grescoe 4.11 avg rating — 841 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	101 Things I Learned in Urban Design School by Matthew Frederick (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 310 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Where We Want to Live: Reclaiming Infrastructure for a New Generation of Cities by Ryan Gravel 3.80 avg rating — 275 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis by Cynthia Barnett (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 159 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch 4.05 avg rating — 4,222 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Home Improvement by Jacobin 4.30 avg rating — 27 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity by Charles L. Marohn Jr. (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 2,955 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City by William Julius Wilson 3.74 avg rating — 529 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. by Cynthia Barnett (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 154 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	New Deal Ruins: Race, Economic Justice, and Public Housing Policy by Edward G. Goetz 4.33 avg rating — 55 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Price of Thirst: Global Water Inequality and the Coming Chaos by Karen Piper 3.82 avg rating — 159 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles by Mike Davis 4.20 avg rating — 4,900 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Transit Maps Of The World by Mark Ovenden 4.25 avg rating — 866 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Elixir: A History of Water and Humankind by Brian M. Fagan 3.39 avg rating — 262 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Rent Trap: How We Fell into It and How We Get Out of It (Left Book Club) by Samir Jeraj 4.05 avg rating — 85 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	A History of Future Cities by Daniel Brook (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 844 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	What the River Reveals: Understanding and Restoring Healthy Watersheds by Valerie Rapp 4.10 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia by Anthony M. Townsend 3.61 avg rating — 816 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	When the Rivers Run Dry: Water - The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century by Fred Pearce 3.98 avg rating — 1,065 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery 4.36 avg rating — 9,491 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis by Tim Flannery 3.85 avg rating — 369 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City by Neil Smith 4.25 avg rating — 160 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter 3.97 avg rating — 10,386 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit by Thomas J. Sugrue 4.24 avg rating — 2,238 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Modern Housing for America: Policy Struggles in the New Deal Era by Gail Radford 4.12 avg rating — 33 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	When Work Disappears : The World of the New Urban Poor by William Julius Wilson 3.88 avg rating — 722 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh 3.37 avg rating — 3,638 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Planet of Slums by Mike Davis really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3,388 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Purging the Poorest: Public Housing and the Design Politics of Twice-Cleared Communities by Lawrence J. Vale 4.34 avg rating — 38 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 5,789 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Great Rent Wars: New York, 1917-1929 by Robert M. Fogelson 3.80 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder by Michael Pollan (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 5,601 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Cities for People by Jan Gehl 4.35 avg rating — 2,440 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Zoned Out! Race, Displacement, and City Planning in New York City by Tom Angotti (Editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 76 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Rise of the Creative Class--Revisited by Richard Florida 3.68 avg rating — 3,353 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects by Lewis Mumford 4.10 avg rating — 1,482 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution by Menno Schilthuizen (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 2,201 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Production of Space by Henri Lefebvre 4.16 avg rating — 2,248 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities by Benjamin R. Barber 3.11 avg rating — 359 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	All That Is Solid: The Great Housing Disaster by Danny Dorling 3.55 avg rating — 144 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	In Defense of Housing: The Politics of Crisis by Peter Marcuse 4.04 avg rating — 774 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Cities Under Siege: The New Military Urbanism by Stephen Graham 3.77 avg rating — 172 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars