Sprawl remains the prevailing growth pattern across the United States, even though experts in planning, economics and environmental issues have long denounced it as wasteful, inefficient, and unsustainable. Sprawl is a principal cause of lost open space and natural habitat as well as increases in air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, infrastructure costs, and even obesity. It also plays a primary role in the housing meltdown plaguing the nation. But is it possible to repair sprawling suburbs and create more livable, robust, and eco-sensitive communities where they do not now exist? This new book answers with a resounding "yes" and provides a toolbox of creative approaches for doing just that. The Sprawl Repair Manual offers comprehensive guidance for transforming fragmented, isolated and car-dependent development into "complete communities." Polemical as well as practical, the manual is designed to equip readers - from professional planners, designers, and developers to regulators and concerned citizens - with strategies drawn from two decades of successful repair projects. In contrast to sprawl - characterized by an abundance of congested highways, strip development, and gated cul-de-sac subdivisions - complete communities are diverse in terms of uses, transportation options, and population. They are walkable, with most daily needs close by. There is a wealth of research and literature explaining the origins and problems of suburban sprawl, as well as the urgent need to repair it. However, the Sprawl Repair Manual is the first book to provide a step-by-step design, regulatory, and implementation process. From the scale of the region to the building - turning subdivisions into walkable neighborhoods, shopping centers and malls into town centers, and more - today's sprawl can be saved. Readers who have despaired of ever being able to "take back the suburbs" will find heartening news between the covers of this first-of-its-kind book.

Sprawl Repair ManualFriday, June 10th, 2016 at 5:09pm

Retweeted Andy Boenau (@Boenau):

Detroit is full of Level of Service A streets. Doesn't help their economy.

#CNU24 #transpo https://t.co/YCCjMaZo4q

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Sprawl Repair ManualFriday, June 10th, 2016 at 2:55pm

Retweeted Mike Christensen (@MRC_SLC):

Campus Martius Park on a Friday at lunchtime. :) #CNU24 @NewUrbanism @cnunextgen https://t.co/PbedjFd0KU

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Sprawl Repair ManualFriday, June 10th, 2016 at 2:55pm

Retweeted Nate Hood (@Nathaniel1983):

The masterful Detroit Institute of Arts #CNU24 https://t.co/y8kUvp65yT

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Sprawl Repair ManualFriday, June 10th, 2016 at 11:48am

Retweeted Jonathan F P Rose (@JonathanFPRose):

How Much Does Sprawl Cost American Commuters? https://t.co/2SYPijUsHj

How Much Does Sprawl Cost American Commuters?

More than $107 billion annually, or about $1,400 per commuter, a new analysis finds.

citylab.com/design/2016/06…

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Sprawl Repair ManualWednesday, June 8th, 2016 at 6:45pm

Retweeted Adam A Cook (@fewlittleplans):

.@ccoletta: "When we achieve investment w/out displacement we enable opportunity" #CNU24 https://t.co/cmgCBX91e0

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Sprawl Repair ManualWednesday, June 8th, 2016 at 6:44pm

Retweeted Walkonomics (@Walkonomics):

Living in a car-dependent city can add up to $3,000 to the cost of your commute #Walkable #Work via @urbandata https://t.co/biqFFC70xp

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