The evolution of urban form: typology for planners and architects

摘要

This book is an excellent introduction to urban typology and its use. The author discusses urban typology at a scale outside what could be called dense urban centres, such as midtown Manhattan or downtown Chicago, focusing on urban areas on the fringe of large urban centres - strip malls, industrial parks, and housing. As a professor of urban design I find this approach very informative. The author raises the question as to why there are so many new strip malls, gas stations, apartment complexes, office parks, subdivisions, and big box stores built for every new 50 acres developed. She states that probable culprits according to designers are ordinary land-use regulations and, secondarily, that as a culture we have forgotten what is good design and need to be reminded through examples.