Intelligent Urban Thinking
November 9, 2009
There are a lot of books out there about urbanism, city-living, sprawl and other such topics. Some are excellent, others have put me to sleep. Michael Sorkin's Twenty Minutes in Manhattan is one of my new favorites. 
Although the description on the inside flap describes the book as a story of the walk from the author's apartment in Greenwhich Village to his architecture studio in Tribeca, the book is so much more; from a history of zoning and tenant laws in New York to an analysis of street grids and the subway to the many parks that blanket the urban landscape. The book can be dense in parts and some topics seem very long-winded and without organization. Overall, it's a nice read for someone interested in New York City and the urban realm that encompasses it.
In particular, there are three topics that Sorkin got me thinking more about; things which I hadn't really paid much attention to before.
Rent Control - there are few topics that get as much bad press in economics circles as New York's rent control laws. Most economists argue that rent control creates an artificial shortage of residential space, and those paying low rents are cross-subsidized by new residents who wind up paying exorbitantly high rents or who can't find an apartment at all. Along these lines, they say everyone would be better off if we just let the market dictate rental prices. Sorkin suggests, on the other hand, that many with rent controlled residences make up the difference in cost by becoming more civically engaged, which ultimately benefits everyone in the community. A completely market-driven system could unintentionally alter those dynamics, leading to something like the suburban subdivision effect, where people don't even know their own neighbors and only care about the community to the extent that it benefits them personally.
Lessons from Disney World - much has been said about Disney World as a fantasy urban place. Between the density, the walkability, and the car-free midways, there are a lot of things to like. And every day, thousands of people pay top dollar to get into these places, but when it comes to the public places we use every day, the perception can be quite different.
The Birth of Cities - most of America's cities have histories going back at least a hundred years. A few have risen over the past few decades, but one interesting question is whether any new cities can emerge in the future? When we look at the sprawled out metro areas with very weak urban cores, it's easy to wonder if we can ultimately fix them? Or can we start from scratch? Sorkin thinks military bases can be easy converted into high-density cities. It's a valid theory, but it's challenging to wonder if we will ever come to something like that.
Although the description on the inside flap describes the book as a story of the walk from the author's apartment in Greenwhich Village to his architecture studio in Tribeca, the book is so much more; from a history of zoning and tenant laws in New York to an analysis of street grids and the subway to the many parks that blanket the urban landscape. The book can be dense in parts and some topics seem very long-winded and without organization. Overall, it's a nice read for someone interested in New York City and the urban realm that encompasses it.In particular, there are three topics that Sorkin got me thinking more about; things which I hadn't really paid much attention to before.
Rent Control - there are few topics that get as much bad press in economics circles as New York's rent control laws. Most economists argue that rent control creates an artificial shortage of residential space, and those paying low rents are cross-subsidized by new residents who wind up paying exorbitantly high rents or who can't find an apartment at all. Along these lines, they say everyone would be better off if we just let the market dictate rental prices. Sorkin suggests, on the other hand, that many with rent controlled residences make up the difference in cost by becoming more civically engaged, which ultimately benefits everyone in the community. A completely market-driven system could unintentionally alter those dynamics, leading to something like the suburban subdivision effect, where people don't even know their own neighbors and only care about the community to the extent that it benefits them personally.
Lessons from Disney World - much has been said about Disney World as a fantasy urban place. Between the density, the walkability, and the car-free midways, there are a lot of things to like. And every day, thousands of people pay top dollar to get into these places, but when it comes to the public places we use every day, the perception can be quite different.
The Birth of Cities - most of America's cities have histories going back at least a hundred years. A few have risen over the past few decades, but one interesting question is whether any new cities can emerge in the future? When we look at the sprawled out metro areas with very weak urban cores, it's easy to wonder if we can ultimately fix them? Or can we start from scratch? Sorkin thinks military bases can be easy converted into high-density cities. It's a valid theory, but it's challenging to wonder if we will ever come to something like that.
