Urban design is a multifaceted and evolving field. However, it does not become multifaceted and evolve by itself. We make it so. The 'we' is the community of inquirers and enactors such as academic scholars, urban practitioners, and citizen activists. From time to time, the field also needs a good shake up. This is just such a time. Cities all over the world are confronting the climate crisis, urban inequality, structural racism and health emergencies such as the current Covid-19 global pandemic. How is urban design engaging with such realities and challenges? The New Companion to Urban Design provides some valuable answers. Indeed, it is a monumental and path-breaking tome in an increasingly welcome and crowded field of urban design readers and companions (e.g. Carmona and Tiesdell 2007; Krieger and Saunders 2009; Larice and Macdonald 2013). The breadth and scope of the issues it covers, at 50 chapters and 714 pages, is a breathtaking achievement. As significant as this is, the New Companion is monumental in another equally impressive manner, which is the quality of numerous chapters - many of which bring fresh and potentially transformative perspectives to the field of urban design.
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