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The Smart Growth Manual: a Review

Kaid Benfield

Director, Smart Growth Program, Washington, DC

Posted January 4, 2010 in Green Enterprise , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Solving Global Warming

Before getting to disclaimers and qualifications, let me say at the outset that I like this new book a lot. Written by new urbanist uberforce Andres Duany and his firm’s alumnus Jeff Speck with Mike Lydon, founder of the Street Plans Collective, The Smart Growth Manual (McGraw-Hill, 2009) comprises a concise and affordably priced (list, $24.95) compendium of well-illustrated policy, planning and architectural principles in fewer than 200 pages. It is complex and simple at the same time and, if its tenets were followed by community planners and builders everywhere, we would have a better and more sustainable world. Reviewing a book with such lofty intentions seems a great way to kick off this blog’s new year.

Now the disclaimer: I know Andres and Jeff personally and respect their work tremendously. I served for several years as a volunteer task force chair at the Congress for the New Urbanism, which Andres co-founded, and learned a lot. I haven’t always agreed with Andres or other new urbanist leaders on growth management policy or on how some of their designs have been manifested in the real world; but our personal relationship has always been great. My own work is better for having known Andres, his associates, and their work.

via Switchboard, from NRDC :: Kaid Benfield’s Blog :: The Smart Growth Manual: a Review.

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