Flaptekst

THE WAY WE BUILD OUR CITIES IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED. IT'S TIME FOR A BOTTOM-UP REVOLUTION. America's cities are trapped in a vicious cycle. We can't meet our basic financial needs, yet continue to fund new highways, new megaprojects, and new developments that fail to generate prosperity. Short-term growth may create the illusion of wealth, but it comes at the expense of long-term solvency, creating unpayable future liabilities. Charles L. Marohn, Jr. wants us to break this cycle with lessons our ancestors learned over thousands of years of trial and error. To create cities that last, we must build incrementally, in small actions at the local level, with a focus on feedback and adaptability. This formula will restore strength and stability to our fragile system. And in his new book, Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, he breaks with modern practice to present a new vision of urban development that creates organic resilience. Readers will discover: Why our cities are on the cusp of a long, slow decline, and how to approach the challenge in a rational way Why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles--and why it just doesn't work Why old and blighted areas are often more financially productive than shiny new ones The power of little bets to strengthen communities and improve the lives of citizens How humble public engagement can create amazing insights The surprising ways that strong neighborhoods make us better people This book lays out a new paradigm that not only promises to address the long-standing problems facing America's city leaders, but also offers unexpected insights into what it means to be human. Thoughtful, practical, quietly passionate, and at times poignant, Strong Towns is a must-read for anyone who cares deeply about creating places where people want to live. www.strongtowns.org