Alexander Garvin (1941–2021)

Add a question mark to the title of this new book from New York-based planner and educator Alexander Garvin and you have the impetus for the book and the two years of travel and writing that went into it. Without the question mark, the title is a statement, meaning Garvin has answered the question with this book. If the chapters are any indication – Open to Anybody, Attracting and Retaining Market Demand, Sustaining a Habitable Environment, Nurturing and Supporting a Civil Society, etc. – the answers are an almost equal mix of social, economic, and environmental concerns. With so much being written about cities these days, many people will take exception to Garvin's lack of coverage in Africa, Asia, and South America. This is something Garvin addresses early on, indicating that he traveled to cities he was familiar with rather than trying to grasp new lessons from new (for him) places. So the resulting book is a personal view of cities through his eyes (literally, with most of the photos taken by him) that focuses on the most successful parts of European and North American cities.… (mere)