The More You Know, the More You Want to Know
Learning the ins and outs of public transportation is fascinating, we get it. If you find yourself wanting to dig deeper into this world but aren’t quite ready to take the plunge into a full-fledged degree program, we have just the thing. Here are some book recommendations that will feed your inner transit and city planning geek without worrying about those pesky grades:
Happy City – On the short list for anyone interested in public transportation, this book is revolutionizing the way we think about urban life.
Walkable City – Fair warning: you may see your city in a whole new light after reading this book.
Urban Street Design Guide – This manual shows how streets of every size can be reimagined and reoriented to prioritize safe driving and transit, biking, walking, and public activity. Unlike older, more conservative engineering manuals, this design guide emphasizes the core principle that urban streets are public places and have a larger role to play in communities than solely being conduits for traffic.
Triumph of the City – An optimistic view of American cities and how they are our best hope for the future. Entire classes have been built around this book.
A Country of Cities – Well-written, with statistics, infographics and renderings, the author makes the case that well-designed American cities are the key to solving our greatest national challenges.
Streetfight – The author served as New York City’s transportation commissioner from 2007 to 2013 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, overseeing historic changes to New York City’s streets – closing Broadway to cars in Times Square, building nearly 400 miles of bike lanes and creating more than 60 plazas citywide.
Vital Little Plans: The Short Works of Jane Jacobs – A collection of 40 short essays from the visionary urbanist’s entire career.
Where We Want to Live – Cities have the capacity to create a healthier, more satisfying way of life by remodeling and augmenting their infrastructure in ways that connect neighborhoods and communities.
Happy reading!
What Would You Recommend?
What books, blogs, publications or podcasts do you read or listen to about public transportation and vital urban environments?
We’d love to know what puts that spring in your step – email us at modernstreetcaradvocates@gmail.com and maybe we’ll feature them in an upcoming newsletter or on our social media!
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