The Eternally Sprawling City
I've only dipped into Robert Bruegmann's new book, Sprawl: A Compact History, but what I've read is terrific. Bob is a thoughtful student of architectural history and urban evolution and a keen observer of the contemporary urban scene. (I quoted him in a column on downtown development.) His work is not just contrarian and provocative but well-documented and persuasive. Don't take my word for it. Witold Rybczynski gives Sprawl an enthusiastic review on Slate.