As we come to the end of this fall semester and we get ready for the end-of-the-year holidays and winter break, the Wagner Planner team turned to our professors and staff to ask: “What were your favorite reads of 2020?”
Here are their picks and why. Enjoy!
Carter Strickland, Urban Planning Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities, recommends:
The Hollow Kingdom (Clare Dunkle): “The narrator is a crow with attitude navigating a world where humans have been felled by a mysterious disease.”
Sarah Gerecke, Urban Planning Professor of Land Use, Housing & Community Development in NYC Seminar, recommends:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (Isabel Wilkerson): “I used to try to avoid conflating racism and classism when teaching. Caste explains why they are entwined, with jaw-dropping comparisons among India, Nazi Germany and the US. ”
Atul Pokharel, Urban Planning Professor of History and Theory of Planning, recommends:
Barrio America: How Latino Immigrants Saved the American City (A. K. Sandoval-Strausz): “An important perspective left out of History and Theory of Planning.”
The Roots of Urban Renaissance: Gentrification and the Struggle over Harlem (Brian D. Goldstein): “A well-written book that tells a fascinating story that traces the role of ‘Harlemites’ in the famed renaissance.”
The Memory Police (Yoko Ogawa): “An imagination-expanding story of memory and the processes of forgetting.”
Charley Cohen, Environment, Infrastructure, & Transportation Staff Writer, recommends:
Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run and Win the Fight for Effective Transit (Steven Higashide): “This book has become my bible regarding how we as future planners can create changes in our transit systems. Mr. Higashide discusses how previous bussing projects in Houston, Miami, and other American cities have been led by both local activists and leaders who saw an opportunity for better transit. He also goes into detail about what defines a good bus system, and some of the major obstacles that stop bussing projects.”
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkien): “Arguably the greatest trilogy in literature? From one of the greatest storytellers of the modern era, the epic tale between good and evil in Middle-Earth unfolds into a story that led to some amazing movies but redefined fantasy storytelling. Even if you have seen the movies, the books go into great detail of the history of Middle-Earth, spin more songs for readers, and more! We do not stand for Tom Bombadil erasure here!”
Transit Maps of the World: The World’s First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth (Mark Ovenden & Mike Ashworth): “This book is more of a coffee table book, but it does shed light on some of the earliest maps of transit systems as well as maps of systems around the world! A great holiday gift, you can spend a cold, winter day under a blanket and look at some sweet maps for inspiration for when you’re redesigning a city’s transit (or in the short-term when your playing City; Skylines).”
American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley – His Battle for Chicago and the Nation (Adam Cohen): “As someone who has spent several years in Chicago, the Daley name is forever cemented into the city of the Windy City. This biography tells the story of how Mayor Daley became the Chicago Political Machine and how his actions, notably the 1968 Democratic Party Convention Riots, forever shaped American politics and how his legacy continued shaping Chicago. A dense, but a read that you won’t be able to put down.”
Samantha Sánchez, Urban Analytics Staff Writer, recommends:
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration (Isabel Wilkerson): “Although not necessarily known as a planning book, The Warmth of Other Suns opened up my eyes to how land, politics, and race is once again inherently intertwined. It allowed me to understand the Black migration from the South to Northern and Western cities. Additionally, it allowed me to see that the ‘South’ isn’t a monolith like how many fellow northerners perceive it. Overall, the book pays tribute to how Black Americans shaped our cities through the undeniable influence in cities from the beginning.”
The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn: Gentrification and the Search for Authenticity in Postwar New York (Suleiman Osman) “Osman goes through an in-depth history of how Brooklyn began and how demographics have changed over time. He goes into great detail about the importance of why building structures are still there and offers policy analysis with residents’ stories side by side. Instead of the usual book about building codes and legislation, he brings it to life and allows New Yorkers to appreciate how history has shaped our landscape. And, of course, Osman discusses gentrification and how it’s always been there- just not as visible as it is today.”
Clap When You Land (Elizabeth Acevedo): “Acevedo dives deep into the story of two teenage young sisters- one who lives in NYC, and the other who lives in the Dominican Republic and have the same father. Through poetry, she unwraps the story of how the death of the father reunites a family. She explains some of the normalized pain of infidelity in Latinxs households, the struggles of having family in different countries, the complexities of forgiveness, and how familial bonds shape our lives (especially as first-generation immigrants).”
Mayelly Moreno, Wagner Planner Editor-In-Chief, recommends:
A Short Introduction to Bicycle Urbanism (Mikael Colville-Andersen): “It is a brief and straightforward read on the numerous reasons bikes are transformative for cities and for the individuals that use them.”
An Underground Guide to Sewers Or: Down, Through and Out in Paris, London, New York &c. (Stephen Halliday): “Fascinating exploration of this hidden, yet essential infrastructure in cities of the past and the present.”
The Strange Library (Haruki Murakami): “It is a short book that combines many elements to create a surreal and beguiling story – a boy returning his library books falls into a trap that seeks to claim his life.”