Book Review: October cities: the redevelopment of urban literature

Abstract

his ideas in a different world. His ‘compass’ model can be applied, but the signs have all been reversed and it is the city that is losing jobs and people. The chapter titled ‘Then and now’ is succinct, but succeeds in using key indicators to show the extent and nature of change over the past century. The focus for Part II becomes that of sustainability: Chapter 8, ‘The quest for sustainability’ and Chapter 9, ‘Sustainable social cities of tomorrow’, catalogue a diverse set of examples and then develop both new concepts and the key strategic policy elements. The examples tend to be over-concentrated in south-east England, but are sufficient and varied to convey the intended messages. After a chapter on ‘Making it happen’, the book almost digresses with vignettes on ‘do-it-yourself’ new towns, including the long-running experiment on alternative technology at Machynlleth in Wales. A second vignette on ‘nimbies’ is of some interest, historical and contemporary, but has the effect of robbing the text of a more effective, and certainly needed, conclusion. The last paragraph of the book brings us back to Howard and his ‘century-old prescription’ but the momentum was lost somewhere along the way. Throughout Part II, the authors are less successful in presenting a coherent and focused discussion and although the material remains valuable, well presented and clearly expressed, the narrative loses something of its unity of purpose. This is certainly a book that can be recommended. It reminds us of key players and events in the evolution of urban planning and identifies the issues that both exist now and are likely to develop over the next few decades. Cities and their impacts on life in rural areas, land development processes and planning policies sometimes appear to be in some danger of becoming neglected parts of the geography curriculum. This book reminds us that they are mainstream, core issues that we neglect at our peril.