Direction of cities1996

John Guinther's Direction of Cities expounds the nature of cities: how they grow, whom they are intended to serve, which forces harm them and which help them develop their true potential. Written in collaboration with renowned architect and urban planner Edmund N. Bacon, Direction of Cities complements Bacon's own classic Design of Cities. Tracing the growth of America's cities from their earliest days to the present, Guinther relates historical examples to modern principles of urban planning, illustrating Bacon's holistic philosophy, which demands an overarching "direction" to counter the city's natural drift toward chaos. Only by this holistic approach can we begin to reverse such problems as the collapse of infrastructure and create a coherent urban vision that meets its citizens' material and spiritual needs. Broad in context, lively in its characterization of individual city patterns, and - above all - optimistically practical, Direction of Cities is indispensable reading for everyone interested in understanding the underlying textures of cities and the forces within them that can be developed for their long-term advancement.