A quote for today (and every day, when it comes to thinking about land use and urban design questions in the City of Washington)

Robert Brandes Gratz is the author of two of the better books about urban revitalization, The Living City and Cities: Back from the Edge. She's also on the board of Project for Public Spaces.

This is a quote of hers, swiped from the Civic Tourism blog (thanks Dan!):

“Urbanism must be understood as more than urbane amenities scattered between and within self-contained projects, more than cultural institutions, public parks, sports stadiums, attractive street furnishings, clean streets, and public art. Those are critical urbane embellishments, not the urban essence. The basics run deeper and are more complex than such surface attractions. Diverse economic functions evolve naturally in proximity to each other, giving strength to a whole that would not survive if distance separated the parts. Infrastructure costs are contained, lessening the unacceptable strains on public budgets of the smallest town and largest city. Cultural and leisure time amenities draw local and distant audiences sufficient to support them and add immeasurably to the locale’s importance and quality of life. The public realm is fostered in a manner consistent with the democratic principles to which so much lip service is paid.”

Excerpt from Cities: Back from the Edge about the difference between "urban husbandry" and "project planning."

Index Keywords: urban-design-placemaking