Fascinating!

As Alex Krieger states from the start, this book flows from a well-rehearsed course at Harvard University on the history of urban planning utopias. Very substantial, it may doubtlessly be used as a textbook.

The author presents the contents in balanced fashion but does not refrain from clearly providing his own point of view on various issues, including for instance Thomas Jefferson’s intellectual ambivalence. The book’s organization is at once chronological and thematic. These themes are not just theoretical but are well grounded in actual locations. Indeed, themes include specific places such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Epcot, Las Vegas and New Orleans. There are also abundant and varied references to other books: novels such as Sinclair Lewis’s “Main Street”, memoirs such as Bill Bryson’s “Lost Continent” and essays such as “Paradise Planned” by Robert Stern or “The Machine in the Garden” by Leo Marx.

The breadth and depth of the author’s knowledge is impressive. Some typos were not spotted however, such as stating that Washington, D. C. acquired its name in 1891 (rather than 1791). Also, the author seems less at ease with foreign realities. He calls Baron Haussmann “von Haussmann”, for instance, and claims that André Le Nôtre (1613-1700) and Charles L’Enfant (1745-1825) were contemporaries. It is also disappointing to note his insularity with respect to Canada, despite its closeness to Boston where he is based. For example, he briefly discusses Acadia as a region, with no mention whatsoever of Acadians! When describing the growth of Lowell, Massachusetts, he refers to massive European immigration without bringing up Canadian incomers who were at least as numerous. These shortcomings are minor but do cast a shadow on the work’s otherwise shining scholarship.

Globally, this book is very strongly recommended to all interested in the evolution and planning of cities in the USA.

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