Topics
This section of the guide includes more focused topics with key databases and online resources as well as a sampling of books for each area of interest. Each topic touches on a small portion of the resources available (as you can see from the list of book lists just below). These resources can serve as a place to start your research, and we are ready to meet with you to explore these topics further.
- 100 Essential Books of Planning from the American Planning AssociationKey books on planning, presented by decade from 1909-2009
- Digital BookshelfThemed lists of recent books from the staff here in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library.
Water
River. Space. Design by
Urban riverbanks are attractive locations and highly prized recreational environments. The designs of urban river landscapes must fulfill a broad range of requirements: flood control, open space design, and ecology are as a rule the three dominant themes, and they must often be reconciled within a very restricted space. The river must be understood as a process: governed by changing water levels, shifting seasons, erosion, and sedimentation, the river environment is not a static entity but constantly changing--the design must be flexible and take this into account. This book is the product of a multi-year study that subjected more than fifty Western European projects to a comparative analysis. The result is a systematic catalog of effective strategies and innovative design elements. First, designers and planners are given an overview of the broad and varied spectrum of design possibilities. The book's process-oriented approach is especially helpful where the focus is on long-term, sustainable measures. The publication consists of two linked volumes that enable the reader to consult the systematic catalog and the case study section side by side. The easy-to-navigate structure and an extensive glossary provide further guidance, while the work's highly distinctive design makes it visually appealing as well and invites the reader to leaf through and explore it.
Publication Date: 2012-09-14
Cities
Search terms for cities can vary, so you might need to try several combinations. The Library of Congress uses the following search terms, but each database might choose their own variations: Urban forestry, Urban gardens, City Planning, Trees in cities, Urban ecology, Urban agriculture, Urban beautification, Urban renewal, Urban runoff, Urban soils, or Urban vegetation management.
Encyclopedia of Urban Studies by
The United Nations estimates that by 2030, more than two-thirds of the total world population will live in urban areas. Most of this increase will take place not in Europe or in the United States but in the megacities and newly emerging urban regions of what used to be called the developing world. Urban studies is an expansive and growing field, covering many disciplines and professional fields, each with its own schedule of conferences, journals, and publication series. These two volumes address the specific theories, key studies, and important figures that have influenced not just the individual discipline but also the field of urban studies more generally. The Encyclopedia of Urban Studies is intended to present an overview of current work in the field and to serve as a guide for further reading in the field. Key Features Includes important work and traditions from each of the urban disciplines, including urban anthropology, urban economics, urban geography, urban history, urban politics, urban psychology, and urban sociology Addresses both the growth and expansion of urban areas (urbanization) and the nature and quality of urban life (urbanism) Demonstrates the international and interdisciplinary nature of the field with contributions from scholars in many different countries Confronts a number of important issues, ranging from individual problems of poverty to societal problems of provision of adequate housing and social exclusion Provides entries on a number of cities, including those in different historical periods and regions of the world and those that have been important in the development of urban studies Key Themes Disciplinary Approaches in Urban Studies Urban Studies-Topical Areas Urban Issues Urban Planning Urban Theory Urban Transportation Urban C
Publication Date: 2009
The Landscape Urbanism Reader by
With populations decentralizing and cities sprawling ever-outward, twenty-first-century urban planners are challenged by the need to organize not just people but space itself. Hence a new architectural discourse has emerged: landscape urbanism. InThe Landscape Urbanism Reader Charles Waldheimwho is at the forefront of this new movementhas assembled the definitive collection of essays by many of the field's top practitioners. Fourteen essays written by leading figures across a range of disciplines and from around the worldincluding James Corner, Linda Pollak, Alan Berger, Pierre Blanger, Julia Czerniak, and morecapture the origins, the contemporary milieu, and the aspirations of this relatively new field.The Landscape Urbanism Reader is an inspiring signal to the future of city making as well as an indispensablereference for students, teachers, architects, and urban planners.
Publication Date: 2006
Operative Landscapes by
There are infinite ways to build a community, yet the defining feature of any community is characteristically the landscape. Whether it is a park, a river corridor, community gardens, a plaza or a streetscape, the public spaces where people interact provide a shared sense of ownership, and the qualities of these spaces influence how the communities evolve. In a systematic overview, following the workflow sequence of open space projects, the book explores the various types and levels of intervention: from masterplanning to guerilla gardening and from land reclamation to building in existing fabric. Case studies mostly from North America, Europe and Asia accompany the introductory essays. The emphasis is on strategies of interaction between landscape projects, building development and urban planning, resulting in neighborhoods and city quarters that offer a higher quality of life. Beyond trendy theories on landscape urbanism or landscape infrastructure, this book offers an unideological view on the pragmatic potentials of landscape design for enhancing the built environment.
Publication Date: 2012
