| A Better Place to Live: Reshaping the American Suburb | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 7 reviews)
Sales Rank: 836591
Category: Book
Author: Philip Langdon
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
Studio: University of Massachusetts Press
Manufacturer: University of Massachusetts Press
Label: University of Massachusetts Press
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 270
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 1558491066
Dewey Decimal Number: 301
EAN: 9781558491069
ASIN: 1558491066
Publication Date: September 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A highly praised critique of the modern suburb What is it about modern American suburbs that has led to so much dissatisfaction? How has the typical suburban design of the past fifty years exacerbated the stress of daily life, and what better alternatives can be found? Philip Langdon crisscrossed the country to see how suburbs are being built and to interview designers, developers, planners, and residents. The first results of his research were published in a cover story in the Atlantic. Since then, he has broadened his analysis to create this well-illustrated and highly readable book. "American suburbs foster social isolation, dependence on the automobile, long commutes, and segregation of land use, thereby contributing to family distress and urban decay. That damning verdict by Langdon ... informs a much-needed visionary critique of suburban planning and life-styles.... Compelling reading for those concerned with the declining quality of life, his well-illustrated analysis will serve as a sourcebook for planners, architects, builders, and designers". -- Publishers Weekly "An excellent journalistic study of the 'neo-traditional' approach to town planning, which seeks to build suburbs designed deliberately to foster some of the oft-celebrated qualities of small towns: next-door neighbors who know each other, local gathering places where strangers can converse freely, attractive public spaces that encourage foot traffic". -- Wall Street Journal
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 A beautifuly-written and accessible book. A treasure. May 12, 2007
Langdon describes why modern American suburbs, with typical cul de sacs, feeder roads, and strip malls, rob us of our sense of community and of our connections to our neighbors. He explains how the over-reliance on the automobile is both a cause and a result of these suburban designs. But he goes further, describing why older neighborhoods feel so much better to us-- neighborhoods with grid layouts, houses with front porches, homes placed fairly close to tree lined streets. If you've ever looked around at modern American developments and wondered why they feel alienating and uncomfortable, this book will answer your questions in fascinating detail. Langdon's prose is beautifully clear.
Outstanding critique of American suburbia April 7, 2007
There are more books that I can count that address American suburbs, and of the dozen or so that I have read this is by far the most comprehensive, best written, and most illuminating. Far from simply being a 250+ page rant about how bad suburbia is, Langdon offers an immense amount of very specific advice about how it can be made better. You don't have to be a landscape architect or planner to appreciate and enjoy this book. Anyone concerned with ensuring that we all have great places to live will benefit tremendously from reading it.
 Why can't suburbs be like real communities? April 23, 2001
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Langdon's book is a gentle and articulate introduction to New Urbanism - the notion that our cities and our suburbs are a mess, and that in their place, we should have higher residential densities, mixed-use zoning, and pedestrian-oriented design. Langdon extols the benefits of the traditional street grid, and bemoans suburban developers' fascination with "pods" (i.e., clusters of cul-de-sacs). The author highlights the design of individual houses, and describes various ways of hiding garages and "granny apartments." Places given special attention include Seaside (Fla.), Kentlands (Md.), Laguna West (Cal.), Portland (Ore.), Kirkland (Wa.), and Bellevue (Wa.). The book is profusely illustrated with well over a hundred photographs and diagrams, a welcome change from authors who feel they can discuss this topic at length without a single illustration.
 Langdon can't force people to live this way July 28, 2000
8 out of 28 found this review helpful
Mr. Langdon has some excellent points in his book. For instance, he makes a very convincing case that modern suburbia is sterile and that it encourages heavy reliance on the motor vehicle. He also offers good solutions, including more mixed-use neighborhoods, higher architectural standards, and different street layouts.However, Mr. Langdon never adequately addresses a significant objection to his ideas: they are *expensive* to implement. At times, he does concede that his ideas would require higher expenditures on housing. Usually he counters this with arguments resembling "well, Americans don't need wet bars and a television set in every room. If only they would give that up, we could have more intimate communities." At times it seems as though he is actively encouraging Americans to consume less, an idea that could form the backbone of another book. In this book, it only detracts from his argument. Sorry, Mr. Langdon. While Americans may want better communities, you can't force them to give up their television sets and wet bars in order to get them. Come up with a better way to pay for your ideas; otherwise, concede that the market has given modern Americans exactly what they want.
A MUST-read for Everyone January 27, 2000
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
Reading this book started out as a requirement for my Urban Planning class. However, I became so interested in what Langdon had to say, and his easy to read diction, that I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who lives in the city, in the suburbs or anywhere in between. Everyone can relate to the issues that Langdon brings up, and they are truly interesting and relavent in today's society. A great book to use as an introduction to issues of urban planning and urban improvement.
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