How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken

Alex Marshall

Feb 2022 · University of Texas Press

About this ebook

"Marshall writes with wit, reason, and style . . . An excellent resource on the history and future of American cities." — Library Journal

Do cities work anymore? How did they get to be such sprawling conglomerations of lookalike subdivisions, mega freeways, and "big box" superstores surrounded by acres of parking lots? And why, most of all, don't they feel like real communities? These are the questions that Alex Marshall tackles in this hard-hitting, highly readable look at what makes cities work.

Marshall argues that urban life has broken down because of our basic ignorance of the real forces that shape cities—transportation systems, industry and business, and political decision-making. He explores how these forces have built four very different urban environments: the decentralized sprawl of California's Silicon Valley; the crowded streets of New York City's Jackson Heights neighborhood; the controlled growth of Portland, Oregon; and the stage-set facades of Disney's planned community, Celebration, Florida.
To build better cities, Marshall asserts, we must understand and intelligently direct the forces that shape them. Without prescribing any one solution, he defines the key issues facing all concerned citizens who are trying to control urban sprawl and build real communities. His timely book is important reading for a wide public and professional audience.

Ratings and reviews

Great Book Using it in my Anthropolgy class

Good app

About the author

A recent Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Alex Marshall is a freelance journalist in New York City, who has written about urban design for the Washington Post, George, Metropolis, Planning, and other national publications.