Good Urbanism: Six Steps to Creating Prosperous Places

Abstract

We all have a natural nesting instinct - we know what makes a good place. And a consensus has developed among urban planners and designers about the essential components of healthy, prosperous communities. So why aren't these ideals being put into practice? In "Good Urbanism", Ellin identifies the obstacles to creating thriving environments, and presents a six-step process to overcome them: prospect, polish, propose, prototype, promote, present. Ellin illustrates the process with ten exemplary projects, from Envision Utah to Open Space Seattle. For planners, urban designers, community developers, and students of these fields, Ellin's innovative approach offers an inspired, yet concrete path to building good places.