Download Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier Audiobook

" Not uninteresting, but his argument isn't the kind of thing you really need a whole book to make. And if you're looking for a love song to the city, you'd do much better to get your Jane Jacobs on instead. "

" A great summary on why cities are one of man's greatest inventions and how we need to nourish them. I really agreed with him a lot on housing policy and how the US has a set up a lot of programs and policies that are anti city. Some of his education ideas are not quite there though. And no matter how cheap the housing I am never moving to Houston. "

" Great book everyone working for a city should read. Build high in the sky to save nature! Build bigger cities where the living conditions are good (not to cold, not to hot). "

" Not sure what to think about this one but it was well worth my time. An economist who looks at planning from a semi objective perspective is refreshing. What I most took away is that cities are people, not their buildings, and we often get that confused and it causes problems. Investing in your human capital and creating Human Habitats where people like to congregate and share ideas is tantamount for a successful city. His detached assessment of Detroit and other Rust Belt cities was most useful for me, as I summed up his main argument and density is good mantra quickly. Still he has lots of good stats to back up his assertions. His ideas on poverty are interesting put probably fall a lot short of reality. He is one step back from Florida's Creative Class BS but he doesn't seem to have an answer to what you do with everyone who isn't an innovator. There can be only so many Steve Jobs. A good book I may actually reread right away to capture everything he discussed. Also, another pro is his development of so many cities and key aspects of planning. "

" Great book on the positive aspects of urban density. "

" Lots of research and very well done, but I held back on the fourth star because the book ended up being more a presentation of facts than the author's own ideas, which was what I was hoping for. "

" I enjoyed this. It was mostly interesting, though a bit drawn out at parts. I ended up skimming the last third. Still, I learned a decent amount and I would absolutely go back to it for any research involving urban planning. "

" Not bad. I'm not sure about some of his environmental facts, but generally he makes some strong points about urban environments and urban economics. I found him mostly agreeable. "

" The book is insightful and makes excellent easily understood points. The reason I didn't give it five stars is that it is a bit repetitive. "

" A must-read for anyone interested in urbanism in America today. Found the chapter on Detroit particularly of interest. "

" Good synthesis, with few new ideas. Most coherent critique of Jacobs out there. "

" Makes you feel good about living in a city. Overall, a good read about the importance of urban areas, the ways in which they thrive and their importance to humanity's continued success/survival. "

" If you think about a number of the things that are said, it's debateable,. But the books is pretty good overall. "

" There are a lot of interesting points that spur plenty of conversation about whats important in urban development. "

" Although it had a few interesting points, this book was mostly just a collection of superficial observations. Like, did you know that people who live in cities drive less than people who live in suburbia? "

" Want to be good to the environment? Live in a city. "

" This is a fine book of synthesis. It is an evocative presentation of city theory and history. It is a statement of what the city has given economically, socially and culturally. While it is an optimistic study, it offers a great (re)calibration of urbanity in a age that romanticizes the rural. "

" Good synthesis, with few new ideas. Most coherent critique of Jacobs out there. "

" He got me to think more about the relationship between supply, demand and housing price in cities. I also liked the surprising argument that urban slums are often preferable to rural poverty. "

" A novel and iconoclastic examination of urban living at the beginning of the third millennium -- and yet another reason for New Yorkers to feel superior to suburbanites. "

" Lots of research and very well done, but I held back on the fourth star because the book ended up being more a presentation of facts than the author's own ideas, which was what I was hoping for. "

" Good history of cities and good reasons to live in one (even though the author lives in the suburbs). "

" This book needs to be required reading for environmentalists and politicians. "