Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown

Book Description

"A love song for the city . . . [this] volume, attractively packaged and richly illustrated, is really a cookbook for downtown revitalization." —Wall Street Journal

In this pioneering book on successful urban recovery, two urban experts draw on their firsthand observations of downtown change across the country to identify a flexible, effective approach to urban rejuvenation. From transportation planning and sprawl containment to the threat of superstore retailers, they address a host of key issues facing our cities today.

Roberta Brandes Gratz (New York, NY), an award-winning journalist and urban critic, is author of the urban design classic The Living City. A former staff reporter for the New York Post, Gratz has written for the New York Times Magazine and other publications. Norman Mintz (New York, NY) has played a leading role in the field of downtown revitalization for more than twenty-five years. He is Design Director at the 34th Street Partnership in New York City and a consultant on downtown revitalization across the country.

Customer Reviews:

Big Highways Crippled Cities, Big Commercial Plans Can Thwart Rebirth.......2006-09-05

Those are the twin themes permeating Cities: Back From The Edge, a take-no-prisoners diatribe against America's strategic misplacement and overapplication of asphalt and the "bigger is better" mentality of all too many commercial developers.

In this spirited, edgy work, Gratz and Mintz systematically explore how the Interstate System and its connecting routes helped weaken or destroy the commercial and residential viability of many U.S. downtowns, shifting the center of gravity in metropolitan areas and setting the stage for any number of revitalization plans founded on lack of imagination, the desire for a quick buck or graft. The authors describe some of these projects in detail and name real-life culprits while shining the spotlight on more far-sighted community activists, some of whom went on to develop micro solutions to their downtown dreams.

The authors remind us that, in downtown revitalization efforts, size does not really matter; that even the most fledgling business in a particular niche, operating alongside similar startups or in collaborative fashion, can successfully engage in mass customization, grow, and incrementally assist in the sustainable rebirth of a downtown, reinventing a unique critical mass that not only serves friend and neighbor but also draws tourism. "Cities" offers some wonderful quotes from these entrepreneurs as well as some pithy quotes from third parties ranging from H.L. Mencken to Winston Churchill to buttress their arguments.

A genuine bonus to this insightful work are the large number of crisp, black-and-white photographs of streetscapes, artist's studios and other manifestations of urban rebirth. Some have the decided look and feel of the first-rate photography to be seen in The New York Times before it went to color.

"Cities" remains on my bookshelf for reference and inspiration. I'm not done with it yet.

A no-nonsense approach to revitalization.......2006-02-22

The book is solid and devoid of ideology. A good read, with practical and useful advice as well as mini studies of redevelopment success stories.

Insightful Analysis of Changing City Landscapes.......2002-08-20

In this text, Gratz and Mintz set out to establish guidelines and tips for city leaders, community activists, businesspeople, and regular citizens who seek to improve the status of their communities. They carefully outline what works, what does not work and why. Anyone interested in revilatizing downtown areas, setting up shop in a city, or running for office in an urban area should read this book as it will undoubtedly be helpful in creating a better understanding as to how cities can thrive in a new modern era.

needs an editor.......2001-08-21

This book is disappointing in that the content is well-researched and important, but the organization is quite poor. It just rambles all over the place. I would suggest picking up a copy of Suburban Nation or something by Calthorpe or Moe, for more user-friendly tomes, and of course it is always helpful to reread Jane Jacobs and Christopher Alexander (Pattern Language).

great and informative.......1999-02-15

very informative. some experts may not wish to hear the truth in this book.

Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown.(Review): An article from: The Futurist

Average customer rating:

Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown.(Review): An article from: The Futurist
Dan Johnson
Manufacturer: World Future Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by World Future Society on March 1, 1999. The length of the article is 435 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown.(Review)
Author: Dan Johnson
Publication: The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1999
Publisher: World Future Society
Volume: 33 Issue: 3 Page: 10(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Resourceful to those interested in art and people with visual impairments.......2006-09-17

If you are interested in but have no idea about touch tour in museum, and methods of teaching the blind to paint and instructing them to appreciate a picture through touch, it is absolutely the right book for you. There is a lot real examples sharing hands-on experience of working with people with blindness or visual disabilities in art.

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Somme théologique, tome 3, deuxième partie, volume 2 : La Foi, l'espérance et la charité - La Prudence - La Justice - La Force - La Tempérance - Les Charismes et la Vie humaine
saint Thomas d' Aquin , Albert Raulin , and Aimon-Marie Roguet
Manufacturer: Cerf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 2204022314

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Saint Marie Volume 3
Yang Yeo-Jin
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000SN4VWM

Book Description

Everyone knows high school is a battleground riddled with brutality and intrigue, but at Saint Marie's the stakes are much higher. Two cliques are locked in a covert chess match between the forces of good and evil, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance! Members of both sides struggle with their conscience as they are made to choose between their teenage lives and the grave responsibilities they've been burdened with. As the Black Side successfully secures yet another territory of the White Side, time is running out for the students of Saint Marie...

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Canadian Demand for Office Furniture and Anticipated Trends
Thomas W. McCormack
Manufacturer: AKTRIN Furniture Information Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0921577788

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The Canadian Demand for Office Furniture and Anticipated Trends/Chapter 5
Thomas W. McCormack
Manufacturer: Aktrin Furniture Info Ctr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0921577338

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Canadian Demand for Office Furniture and Trends
Stefan Wille , and Thomas W. McCormack
Manufacturer: Aktrin Furniture Research
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Consulting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1894330552

Book Description

This report presents a detailed analysis of the Canadian office furniture market. The study is segregated by important product categories, such as: metal and wooden furniture, furniture systems, chairs, ergonomic products, space dividers etc. We deal with ergonomic issues and the changing environment in modern offices. It points out new trends and provides market forecasts to the year 2003.

The Canadian Demand for Office Furniture and Anticipated Trends/Chapter 5, Vol. 6

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The Canadian Demand for Office Furniture and Anticipated Trends/Chapter 5, Vol. 6
Thomas W. McCormack
Manufacturer: AKTRIN Furniture Information Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MUV9BC

Book Description

Liberal Education and the Corporation analyzes the interrelation of higher education and corporate management at a time when educational and industrial institutions are reassessing their basic strategies. Drawing upon research supported by the Corporate Council on the Liberal Arts, in affiliation with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, it focuses on the corporate career paths of college graduates and on the comparative advantages of liberal arts, business, and engineering degrees, providing data and interpretations essential for policy discussions of curricula reform and corporate management development.

The book draws upon four primary sources of information: (l) a survey of major corporations, focusing on their policies and practices in hiring and promoting college graduates; (2) a parallel survey of middle and senior managers of large companies, concentrating on their career experiences and their assessment of other managers of varying educational backgrounds; (3) detailed examination of the experience of major corporations in the hiring and promotion of college graduates; (4) interviews with career counselors and corporate human resource managers.

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Liberal Education and the Corporation The Hiring and Advancement of College Graduates
Michael Useem
Manufacturer: Aldine Transaction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP2KMM

Book Description

Nichols, J.. A Collection of all the Wills, Now Known to Be Extant, of the Kings and Queens of England, Princes and Princesses of Wales, and every Branch of the Blood Royal, from the Reign of William the Conqueror, to that of Henry the Seventh Exclusive: With Explanatory Notes and a Glossary. London: J. Nichols, 1780. x, 434 pp. Reprinted 1999 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 99-17114. ISBN 1-886363-87-0. Nichols, J.. A Collection of all the Wills, Now Known to Be Extant, of the Kings and Queens of England, Princes and Princesses of Wales, and every Branch of the Blood Royal, from the Reign of William the Conqueror, to that of Henry the Seventh Exclusive: With Explanatory Notes and a Glossary. London: J. Nichols, 1780. x, 434 pp. Reprinted 1999 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 99-17114. ISBN 1-886363-87-0. Cloth. $75. Fascinating collection of wills of every branch of the "blood royal." "This series of miscellaneous and different wills presents us with many curious particulars. We learn from them more of the manners and private life of our illustrious ancestors, some new facts in their public history, and several new descents in their pedigrees. The prospect of death sets their lives in a new point of light." (From the Preface.) These wills of royals from William the Conqueror through Henry the Seventh are in their original language (some in law French), often preceded by a brief introduction, annotations, and postscripts in English. With a Glossary and "Additional Observations and Corrections." Sweet & Maxwell, A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth of Nations I:495 (48). Catalogue of the Library of the Law School of Harvard University II:223.

The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh

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The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh
Francis Henry VII) Bacon
Manufacturer: Folio Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K5TK56

The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh (Folio Society)

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The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh (Folio Society)
Francis Bacon
Manufacturer: Folio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VE0EL0

The history of the reign of King Henry the Seventh. Edited by F.J. Levy

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The history of the reign of King Henry the Seventh. Edited by F.J. Levy
Francis (1561-1626) Bacon
Manufacturer: New York, Bobbs-Merrill Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P1QKOY

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The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh
Bacon Francis
Manufacturer: Folio Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDCTAG

THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF KING HENRY THE SEVENTH. Edited & introduction by Roger Lockyer

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THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF KING HENRY THE SEVENTH. Edited & introduction by Roger Lockyer
Francis. Bacon
Manufacturer: Folio Society,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7E5C4

Book Description

Well-known throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the Raven has a prominent place in myth, legend, and history. This book presents a thorough summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the Raven's natural history, describing its present distribution, habitat requirements, calls, feeding habits, social behavior, and population centers. The text focuses on the Raven's ecology in the United Kingdom, but is of interest worldwide to both amateurs and professionals. It contains useful comparisons of the Northern Hemisphere species. Brought to life through beautiful detailed illustrations, maps, and tables, this is a valuable study on one of the most spectacular and romantic of British birds.

Key Features:

Provides a rare glimpse into Raven ecology/biology in the U.K.
Features beautiful illustrations, along with useful maps and tables
Emphasizes the long association of the bird with humans
Contains current information on feeding habits, breeding, territorialism, intelligence, and distribution

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