City Planning History

'Takes us to places that don't register in our everyday lives - a critical piece of work for future historians.'- Rahul Mehrotra, architect and professor, Harvard Graduate School of Design 'A timely book that brings slum dwellers into the public eye - as luxury apartments rise, millions remain...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER From the hosts of The War on Cars podcast, a searing indictment of how cars ruin everything—and what we can do to fight back When the very first cars rolled off production lines, they were a technological marvel, predicted to make life easier and better for all Americans...

“Expansive and entertaining. . . . [A] fast-paced and highly readable journey . . . the book serves as a useful tool in the effort to redefine the role of the city in an age of increasingly polarized politics, and reminds us that urban health is—as Fiorello La Guardia once remarked about...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER “A comprehensive, entertaining, and compelling argument for how rebuilding social infrastructure can help heal divisions in our society and move us forward.”—Jon Stewart NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR “Engaging.”—Mayor Pete Buttigieg, The...

When Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Bill Dedman noticed in 2009 a grand home for sale, unoccupied for nearly sixty years, he stumbled through a surprising portal into American history. Empty Mansions is a rich mystery of wealth and loss, connecting the Gilded Age opulence of the nineteenth...

The fascinating, forgotten story of the 1970s attempt to build a city dedicated to racial equality in the heart of “Klan Country”. In 1969, with America’s cities in turmoil and racial tensions high, civil rights leader Floyd McKissick announced an audacious plan: he would build a new city...

The first European settlers saw America as a paradise regained. The continent seemed to offer a God-given opportunity to start again and build the perfect community. Those messianic days are gone. But as Alex Krieger argues in City on a Hill, any attempt at deep understanding of how the country has developed must recognize the persistent and dramatic consequences of utopian dreaming. Even as ideals have changed, idealism itself has for better and worse shaped our world of bricks and mortar, macadam, parks, and farmland.

From four-term Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, a hopeful and illuminating look at the dynamic and inventive urban centers that will lead the United States in coming years. Oklahoma City. Indianapolis. Charleston. Des Moines. What do these cities have in common? They are cities of modest size...

“There's much to take in, and Madrigal's zeal gives the audiobook momentum.”—AudioFile This audiobook, written and read by Alexis Madrigal, reveals how understanding Oakland explains the modern world. In The Pacific Circuit, the award-winning journalist Alexis Madrigal sculpts an intricate...

Explore the gripping environmental history of a desert empire built on cutthroat ambition, stolen water, and oil booms. Perfect for a captivating morning commute, this immersive deep-dive exposes how ruthless barons, visionary engineers, and studio moguls transformed a dry basin into a global...

Unearth the archaeological mysteries of a lost ancient city whose brilliant urban planning still defies explanation. Perfect for an educational commute or an afternoon of deep focus, this atmospheric journey transports you into the bustling streets of Bronze Age South Asia. Witness how an...

Uncover the dramatic political history of America’s capital, an urban battleground built to project global power. Perfect for your morning commute or deep-focus learning, this immersive narrative reveals how a muddy landscape transformed into the symbolic heart of the United States. Listen as...