This title will be released on:
May 6, 2025
Description
Reimagining our cities for a sustainable and human-centric future
In her groundbreaking book Wonder City, Lynn Ellsworth delves deep into the heart of modern urban life, casting a critical eye on the transformative changes sweeping through cities like New York. This compelling journey into the world of urban development goes beyond the usual narra-tive, serving as a passionate call to action that encourages readers to actively participate in shaping the future of their cities.
Ellsworth expertly navigates through complex themes such as affordable housing, urban plan-ning, historic preservation, and architecture. With a focus on major cities undergoing significant transformations, Wonder City offers an insightful examination of the challenges and opportunities that define contemporary urban life.
At the core of this engaging narrative is a striking critique of the real estate industry's influence over urban landscapes. Ellsworth reveals how historic and culturally rich urban settings are increas-ingly being overshadowed by the rise of impersonal glass towers, a trend she argues is driven by the industry's grip on politicians and technocrats. This analysis is both eye-opening and unsettling, shedding light on the forces reshaping our urban environments.
Wonder City is more than a critique, however. Ellsworth provides a pragmatic blueprint for revitalizing urban spaces. She champions the need for affordable housing, sustainable urban plan-ning, and architecture that respects and enhances the human experience. Her arguments challenge the prevailing economic theories behind housing supply and question the architectural ideologies that often justify the demolition of historic urban assets.
This book is an essential read for urban planners, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of urban living. Ellsworth's clear, accessible insights into complex issues make Wonder City a vital contribution to the discourse on urban development, appealing to a broad audience that cares about the dynamics and future of city life.
Product Details
| Publisher | Fordham University Press |
| Publish Date | May 06, 2025 |
| Pages | 384 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781531508180 |
| Dimensions | N/A |
About the Author
Reviews
Finally an economist who understands sustainable housing policy! Lynn Ellsworth's book explains the problems that arise when 'market fundamentalism' is inappropriately applied to the market for housing in NYC. Currently the debate around housing cost is largely a debate about the extent to which simple notions of 'supply and demand' can explain high home prices. This author explains at length, and in accessible terms, that there are myriad other factors at play and that bulldozing existing urban fabric is not the solution. A must read for all, especially by self identifying NIMBYs and YIMBYs.---Patrick M. Condon, University of British Columbia
Wonder City reveals how current city planning, housing, and real estate development policies and practices in New York City (and not only there) promote skyscrapers as the dominant building type and manage to overcome popular resistance that favors low-rise and pedestrian-scaled neighborhoods. This essential book challenges the architecture and urban design ideas that have dominated in the professions and among public authorities for many decades and offers specific reforms that prioritize human-scale urban environments for all.---Steven W. Semes, University of Notre Dame School of Architecture
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