Reviews and Reactions

Snapshots of City Life: Our Top Reads

Stephen Assink

We at Common Place over the past year read numerous articles on issues facing our cities and communities. Here are our favorite reads.

There Goes the Neighborhood

Stephen Assink

For Marc J. Dunkelman, the verdict is clear: “The township, in essence, is dying.”

Was there ever a truly natural city? The Byzantines thought so.

Andrew Sharp

The Greeks believed humans could only achieve their full potential in the context of a city and perhaps no city built by Greeks aspired to this goal more enthusiastically than Constantinople. As a truly natural city, could this former Byzantine capital serve as a paradigm for sustainable urbanization and green growth in cities today?

Cities, Water, and the Fabric of Sustainability

Stephen Assink

With the world's population rapidly moving to cities, sustainability issues such as energy, water, and food, will increasingly be urban concerns.

Schools and Local Government: The Best and Worst of Us

Guest Blogger

From economic protectionism to police brutality to plain old corruption, small governments get into a lot of big brotherish kind of trouble. But if local government is sometimes bad, the alternative is not always better.

Common Problems with Public Answers: Peter Levine's Call for Civic Renewal

Stephen Assink

In Peter Levine's new book, he offers guidance and insights for renewing the civic landscape around citizen deliberation and participation.

Snapshots of City Life: Music, Commuter Cycling, and Other Stories

Stephen Assink

A collection of recent online stories that highlight and examine different facets of city life.

The Magic of Mayors?

Stephen Assink

Noah Toly review of Benjamin Barber's new book If Mayors Rules the World offers critical insight and originality into current discussions regarding the future of urban governance in a globalized world.

What’s the Matter with GDP?

Stephen Macekura

Why did GDP become so popular and so widespread, and why are so many people critiquing it today?