Book Review: Redesigning Cities: Principles, Practice, Implementation

Redesigning Cities: Principles, Practice, Implementation, by Jonathan Barnett, FAICP, is intended as a cure-all to what ails today's built environment. Barnett explains that the problem with today's built environment is not due to substandard conditions such as inadequate plumbing or poor insulating materials. Instead, "the problem is in the public environment, in the way our homes and lives fit together" (27). The book provides solutions and historical context to a gamut of today's planning issues, from the decline of public space to urban sprawl to the concentration of poverty. The book also provides effective tools for building community and creating healthier, more vibrant cities