The Well-Tempered City: What Modern Science, Ancient Civilizations, and Human Nature Teach Us About the Future of Urban Life
Now in paperback, Jonathan F. P. Rose—a visionary at the forefront of urban development and renewal—champions the role of cities in addressing the environmental, economic, and social challenges of the twenty-first century.
Cities are the birthplaces of civilisation, and the nodes of culture, trade and opportunity. By 2050, global population will likely rise to over 10 billion, with 70% living in cities. While the United States entered the 21st century boasting the world’s highest GDP, a healthy democracy, and an entrepreneurial culture, it has failed to invest in its cities’ critical infrastructure and as a result, many are rapidly slipping off the map. Whether talking about “ghost towns”—cities abandoned by young people moving to urban areas for opportunity—or major metropolitan areas such as New Orleans and New York City—where the stresses of climate change and resource depletion only add to their vulnerability—it’s clear that we could be doing more.
World-renowned urban planner and developer Jonathan Rose looks at the history and successes of urban living through the lens of sustainability, economic parity and resilience. Cities, he argues, are a physical representation of our social behaviours, representing the economic divides, environmental priorities, physical fitness, and general lifestyles that govern our lives. Left alone, bad infrastructure exacerbates these problems. But if altered, those social mores alter with it. Labeled as the man “who repairs the fabric of cities,” Rose has successfully helped to re-develop urban communities in New York, Newark, Santa Fe and Sao Paolo, to name a few.
In The Well-Tempered City, Rose weaves the lessons of cities from around the world and throughout the history of civilisation with modern economics, urban planning strategies, systems dynamics, and cognitive science into a masterwork in praise of cities. Brilliantly addressing serious questions about the future prosperity and well-being of civilisation, The Well-Tempered City outlines how we can develop cities that are cauldrons of opportunity, and that will increase quality of life and help restore nature.
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Now in paperback, Jonathan F. P. Rose—a visionary at the forefront of urban development and renewal—champions the role of cities in addressing the environmental, economic, and social challenges of the twenty-first century.
Cities are the birthplaces of civilisation, and the nodes of culture, trade and opportunity. By 2050, global population will likely rise to over 10 billion, with 70% living in cities. While the United States entered the 21st century boasting the world’s highest GDP, a healthy democracy, and an entrepreneurial culture, it has failed to invest in its cities’ critical infrastructure and as a result, many are rapidly slipping off the map. Whether talking about “ghost towns”—cities abandoned by young people moving to urban areas for opportunity—or major metropolitan areas such as New Orleans and New York City—where the stresses of climate change and resource depletion only add to their vulnerability—it’s clear that we could be doing more.
World-renowned urban planner and developer Jonathan Rose looks at the history and successes of urban living through the lens of sustainability, economic parity and resilience. Cities, he argues, are a physical representation of our social behaviours, representing the economic divides, environmental priorities, physical fitness, and general lifestyles that govern our lives. Left alone, bad infrastructure exacerbates these problems. But if altered, those social mores alter with it. Labeled as the man “who repairs the fabric of cities,” Rose has successfully helped to re-develop urban communities in New York, Newark, Santa Fe and Sao Paolo, to name a few.
In The Well-Tempered City, Rose weaves the lessons of cities from around the world and throughout the history of civilisation with modern economics, urban planning strategies, systems dynamics, and cognitive science into a masterwork in praise of cities. Brilliantly addressing serious questions about the future prosperity and well-being of civilisation, The Well-Tempered City outlines how we can develop cities that are cauldrons of opportunity, and that will increase quality of life and help restore nature.
