Critical Praise for
Rural by DesignCritical Praise forRural by Design"If you're a fan of strip malls, pedestrian-free gated subdivisions, twelve-lane freeways, and treeless horizons -- avoid this book. If, however, you live, work, plan, or build in a suburb or small town and like the sense of community that tree-lined streets, small shops close to home, and trails and lakes a stroll away bring with them, this is the hope-filled, how-to manual you've been waiting for. This calm, practical book is packed with success stories from communities all across America that have learned how to remake themselves and can now design for people's happiness, creativity, and well-being."
--Tony Hiss, Author, The Experience of Place
"What strikes me most about Rural by Design is its tremendous breadth and its impressive depth. As comprehensive a work as could fit between two covers, it also provides an incredible amount of detail that will undoubtedly be helpful to a very wide variety of readers. I view Rural by Design as an ideal complement to Design with Nature, in tune with the tenets of ecological planning that I defined 25 years ago. It also provides practical answers to a myriad of nitty-gritty questions that seem always to arise when the principles of environmentally-sensitive planning are applied to individual situations. One of the great strengths of this book is that it makes complex technical issues understandable to the lay reader and that it presents its material in a thoroughly interesting and often entertaining way. Arendt makes serious points with grace. It is an indispensable source of workable solutions, practical examples, and sound advice. I recommend this book wholeheartedly, without reservation."
--Ian McHarg, Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania,and author of Design with Nature
"Rural by Design provides a very detailed explanation of planning in small towns and rural environments, with an emphasis on design and implementation techniques. It contains much valuable, practical information. Rural by Design is the small town planner's equivalent of the urban planner's 'Green Book'. This book will be a valuable resource for years to come."
--Frederick Steiner, FASLA, Dean of the School of Architecture and Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture, University of Texas at Austin, and author of The Living Landscape
"The bible on proper planning. I wish more planners would read it. I am an average citizen who wanted to learn more about smarter land-use plans and this book really has great ideas. Shows how poor our current clear-cutting practices are compared to the beauty of an open space subdivision design. Buy this -- you will really learn a lot!"
--A reader from Milford, Michigan
"One of the essential references for any planning department or consulting office. Among the 39 books selected as being of enduring quality that either had defined the planning profession or had exerted a major influence on American city planning, with clearly-written text and common sense solutions."
--Stuart Meck, FAICP, Associate Research Professor and Director, Center for Planning Practice, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University