Whether you're just starting your journey in urbanism or you're already shaping the cities of tomorrow, these carefully curated books will deepen your understanding of what makes cities work – and what doesn't.
# 10 Essential Books Every Urbanist Should Read
*Whether you're just starting your journey in urbanism or you're already shaping the cities of tomorrow, these carefully curated books will deepen your understanding of what makes cities work—and what doesn't.*
Cities are complex organisms, constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of their inhabitants. Understanding them requires more than just looking at buildings and infrastructure; it demands insight into the social, economic, and political forces that shape urban life. At All Things Urban, we believe that great urbanists are also great readers—people who draw from diverse perspectives to create more livable, equitable, and sustainable cities.
There's more to urbanism than Jane Jacobs (though she absolutely deserves her place on this list). From social infrastructure to the psychology of urban happiness, from the mechanics of gentrification to the timeless principles of urban design, these ten books offer essential perspectives for anyone serious about understanding cities.
## 1. Palaces for the People – Eric Klinenberg
**The case for social infrastructure**
Eric Klinenberg makes a compelling argument that the health of our communities depends not just on roads and pipes, but on the spaces where people come together. Libraries, parks, community centers, and even cafés serve as what he calls "social infrastructure"—the physical spaces that foster human connection and civic engagement.
**Key insights:**
- Libraries, parks, and cafés function as civic glue that holds communities together
- A sense of belonging is fundamentally tied to the quality of shared spaces
- Strong communities create more resilient cities that can weather both social and environmental challenges
Klinenberg's research shows that neighborhoods with robust social infrastructure experience lower crime rates, better public health outcomes, and stronger democratic participation. For urbanists, this book is a reminder that the "soft" infrastructure of human connection is just as critical as the "hard" infrastructure of utilities and transportation.
## 2. How to Kill a City – Peter Moskowitz
**Exposing the mechanics of gentrification**
Peter Moskowitz pulls back the curtain on gentrification, revealing it not as a natural market process but as a deliberate policy choice. Through case studies from New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York, he shows how "revitalization" efforts often systematically displace the very communities they claim to help.
**Key insights:**
- Gentrification benefits developers and newcomers while displacing long-term residents
- Municipal policies often accelerate rather than prevent displacement
- True neighborhood improvement requires centering the needs of existing residents
This book is essential reading for anyone involved in neighborhood planning or development. Moskowitz challenges urbanists to think critically about whose interests are served by various interventions and to advocate for more equitable approaches to city growth.
## 3. Streetfight – Janette Sadik-Khan
**Lessons from transforming NYC's streets**
As NYC's Transportation Commissioner under Mayor Bloomberg, Janette Sadik-Khan led some of the most dramatic street transformations in recent urban history. From closing Times Square to cars to creating hundreds of miles of bike lanes, her work demonstrates that bold leadership can rapidly reclaim public space for people.
**Key insights:**
- Pilot projects and temporary interventions can test big changes with lower risk
- Data and quick implementation beat lengthy planning processes
- Political courage is essential for transforming streets from car storage to public space
Sadik-Khan's approach—painting first, planning later—offers a practical roadmap for urbanists who want to create change quickly. Her book shows that even in car-dominated cities, it's possible to prioritize people over vehicles.
## 4. The Just City – Susan Fainstein
**Urban planning through the lens of justice**
Susan Fainstein argues that urban planning must go beyond efficiency and economic growth to actively promote justice. She develops a framework based on democracy, diversity, and equity, then applies it to case studies from Amsterdam, New York, and London.
**Key insights:**
- Justice should be an explicit goal of urban planning, not just a byproduct
- Democracy in planning means meaningful participation by affected communities
- Equity requires addressing historical disadvantages, not just treating everyone the same
This book provides urbanists with practical tools for evaluating whether planning initiatives truly serve the public good. Fainstein shows that fairness isn't just morally important—it's essential for creating cities that work for everyone.
## 5. Happy City – Charles Montgomery
**Exploring the link between design and happiness**
Charles Montgomery investigates how urban design affects our psychological well-being. Drawing on research from psychology, neuroscience, and urban planning, he shows that small changes to the built environment can have profound effects on human happiness and health.
**Key insights:**
- Walkable neighborhoods function as medicine, improving both physical and mental health
- Human connection matters more than square footage for life satisfaction
- Simple design interventions can boost urban joy and community well-being
Montgomery's work bridges the gap between urban planning and public health, showing urbanists how to design cities that don't just function efficiently but actively promote human flourishing.
## 6. Cities for People – Jan Gehl
**A manifesto for people-first design**
Danish architect Jan Gehl has spent decades studying how people actually use urban spaces. His methodology for observing and measuring public life has influenced cities worldwide, from Copenhagen to New York to Melbourne.
**Key insights:**
- Streets and squares should be designed for pedestrians and cyclists first, cars second
- Public life—not traffic flow—should be the primary metric of urban success
- "Human scale" can be measured and designed for systematically
Gehl's approach combines rigorous observation with practical design principles. His book provides urbanists with concrete tools for creating spaces that invite people to linger, interact, and enjoy city life.
## 7. Design of Cities – Edmund N. Bacon
**A visual journey through urban design**
Edmund Bacon takes readers on a visual tour of urban design across centuries and continents. As Philadelphia's chief city planner for over two decades, Bacon understood both the theory and practice of creating memorable urban spaces.
**Key insights:**
- Great urban design follows timeless patterns that transcend specific eras or styles
- Certain design principles create enduring value across cultures and centuries
- Cities have their own visual language that can be learned and applied
This book is essential for understanding how great cities achieve their distinctive character. Bacon shows urbanists how to think about design at the city scale while attending to human-scale details.
## 8. Triumph of the City – Edward Glaeser
**The economist's love letter to cities**
Harvard economist Edward Glaeser makes the case for urban living from an economic perspective. He argues that cities are humanity's greatest invention—engines of innovation, prosperity, and environmental sustainability.
**Key insights:**
- Dense cities drive innovation by facilitating the exchange of ideas
- Urban living lifts people out of poverty more effectively than rural development
- Counterintuitively, city living is often the greenest lifestyle choice
Glaeser's book provides urbanists with powerful economic arguments for urban density and investment. He shows that cities aren't just nice to have—they're essential for human progress and environmental sustainability.
## 9. The City in History – Lewis Mumford
**A sweeping history of urban form**
Lewis Mumford's monumental work traces the evolution of cities from ancient settlements to modern metropolises. He shows how technology, culture, and power structures have shaped urban form throughout history.
**Key insights:**
- Cities reflect the values and power structures of their societies
- Technology shapes urban form, but doesn't determine it
- Cities function as both machines for efficiency and organisms for human life
Though published in 1961, Mumford's insights remain remarkably relevant. His book provides urbanists with historical perspective on contemporary challenges and reminds us that cities are always products of human choices.
## 10. The Death and Life of Great American Cities – Jane Jacobs
**The classic that redefined urbanism**
No urbanist reading list would be complete without Jane Jacobs' groundbreaking critique of mid-20th century planning. Her observations of Greenwich Village challenged professional orthodoxy and launched a revolution in how we think about cities.
**Key insights:**
- Sidewalks create "eyes on the street" that provide natural surveillance and safety
- Top-down planning often destroys the organic systems that make neighborhoods work
- Vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods are healthier than segregated, single-use zones
Jacobs' book remains influential because she focused on how cities actually work rather than how planners thought they should work. Her insights about urban vitality and human-scale planning continue to guide urbanists worldwide.
## Beyond the Books: Building Your Urban Career
These books provide essential knowledge, but developing expertise in urbanism requires more than just reading. It demands understanding how to apply these insights in real-world contexts, how to build coalitions for change, and how to navigate the complex political and economic forces that shape cities.
That's why we created [**Career Compass**](https://bit.ly/45VmOrw ), our flagship course for urban professionals. Designed by All Things Urban and Professor Carolina Cominotti, Career Compass goes beyond theory to help you build a career that aligns with your skills, values, and aspirations. We share curated resources like these reading lists, along with practical toolkits for career development, networking strategies, and skills assessment.
Whether you're a recent graduate exploring your first steps in urbanism or a mid-career professional seeking to pivot toward more sustainable and impactful roles, [**Career Compass**](https://bit.ly/45VmOrw ) provides the tools, frameworks, and community support you need to design a career that truly fits you.
**Special Offer:** We're offering 15% off until September 15 for the final cohort of 2025. This is your last chance to join this year's program and start building the urban career you've always envisioned.
[Learn more and apply today](https://bit.ly/45VmOrw )
## Join the All Things Urban Community
These ten books represent just the beginning of a lifelong learning journey in urbanism. Cities are constantly evolving, and the best urbanists are those who remain curious, critical, and committed to continuous learning.
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## Share Your Recommendations
Did we miss a book that changed your perspective on cities? We'd love to hear from you. Share your favorite urban reads in the comments below, or [reach out to us directly](mailto:
[email protected]). The best urbanist libraries are built through community recommendations and shared discovery.
Remember: great cities are built by people who understand them deeply. These books will help you join that conversation with knowledge, nuance, and vision. Happy reading, and here's to building better cities together.
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