Today in random books I found in my library, let’s learn about urban planning! I do have two series that involve cities that exist in isolation and are cut off from the world, so that seems like a good enough reason to start reading up about the usability of cities.
The thesis of what makes a happy city is pretty straightforward. Create a city in a way where the primary purpose is for humans to live in it as opposed to a means for cars to get from one location to the next. Make the cities more walkable, create public spaces for people to congregate and enjoy leisurely. Invest in other ways for people to get around. And make options in housing for people with lower income to still live in.
I will admit, I paid a lot more attention to the parts about Vancouver than the rest of the book, mostly because I know exactly what he was talking about.1 It’s interesting to see how the same or similar issues are treated in other places, and how the changes have impacted things like hospitalization and crime rates.
Overall, I really liked this book! It was a lot of fun, and informational. While I did pay more attention to some parts than others, I did learn a lot about how urban planning is done in other places.
- What was considered “low income” for that apartment complex is appalling [↩]