To practice sustainable urbanism, The Urban Collaborative team participates in cutting edge research as well as learning valuable lessons from the past. While there are countless books and resources available for planners and designers, this resource page features a curated list of foundational documents on making better places for people and the planet.
Year Title Agency/Publication Author 1987 A New Theory of Urban Design Oxford University Press Christopher Alexander, Hajo Neis, Artemis Anninou, and Ingrid King 1977 A Pattern Language Oxford University Press Christopher Alexander 2001 Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community Simon & Schuster Robert D. Putman 1973 Defensible Space; Crime Prevention Through Urban Design Macmillan Publishing Oscar Newmann 2008 Form Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities, and Developers Wiley Daniel G. Parolek, Karen Parolek, Paul C. Crawford 1993 Great Streets MIT Press Allan B. Jacobs 2011 Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space Island Press Jan Gehl 1982 Livable Streets University of California Press Donald Appleyard, M. Sue Gerson, and Mark Lintell 2001 New American Urbanism: Re-forming the Suburban Metropolis Skira John A. Dutton 2008 Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs Wiley Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson 2010 Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream North Point Press Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Jeff Speck 2001 The Boulevard Book: History, Evolution, Design of Multiway Boulevards MIT Press Elizabeth MacDonald, Allan B. Jacobs, and Yodan Rofe 2005 The City Assembled: The Elements of Urban Form Through History Thames & Hudson Greg Castillo 1999 The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History Thames & Hudson Spiro Kostof 1961 The Concise Townscape Routledge Gordon Cullen 1961 The Death and Life of Great American Cities Penguin Random Hose Jane Jacobs 1999 The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community Marlowe & Company Ray Oldenburg 1960 The Image of the City MIT Press Kevin Lynch 1997 The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream Princeton Architectural Press Peter Calthorpe 1980 The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Project for Public Spaces William H. 2004 Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities Island Press Howard Frumkin, Lawrence Frank, and Richard J. Jackson