Redesigning Urban Centers

Jonathan Barnett is the author of many books and articles about urban design and planning and is a professor emeritus of practice in city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been an urban design advisor to Federal government agencies, and to many cities and suburbs, including Charleston, SC, Cleveland, Kansas City, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Norfolk, Omaha, and Pittsburgh.

“This is the best book about the future of U.S. metropolitan areas yet written. It shows the pent-up demand for walkable urban development, why it costs so much relative to sprawl (walkable urban tends to be illegal by zoning and opposed by NIMBYs), and where our future growth is going. It is the first book to show that future development trends will focus on the ‘urbanization of the suburbs.’ Plus, it gives many, many examples of these future growth patterns throughout the country. If you want to see the future, read this book.”Christopher B. Leinberger, Co-founder of Places Platform, author of The Option of Urbanism and co-author of Reimagining Cities“This is an indispensable book by America's leading city planning practitioner, teacher, and observer. Barnett isolates the most important trends and challenges facing urban centers and then lays out the whole range of actions and solutions leaders are applying to deal with them in the real world. The author shows how we got here and where we're going; meticulously researched case studies pair succinct histories with present-day facts on the ground in each place, and then he documents the interventions underway to bend the future into forms that support human flourishing. All the material is presented in a straightforward, objective way and backed up with statistics. Every mayor should read it. Altogether, it's a compelling story of success, failure, injury, recovery, persistence, and inspiration. City centers, Barnett shows, are changing for the better.”Victor Dover, FAICP, CNU Fellow, Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning“Jonathan Barnett's Redesigning Urban Centers: Adapting to Changing Real Estate Markets provides a succinct overview of the current state of urbanized communities in post-pandemic U.S. in a manner that will speak to professional planners and students across the spectrum of specialties—land use, transportation, urban design, housing and economic development. Barnett seamlessly weaves these different perspectives into a synopsis of the driving forces of change, key challenges, and best practices to create and maintain thriving centers. His focus on the metropolitan scale and appreciation for the different assets of the various built environment contexts across a region makes this a unique and refreshing take on this often-studied topic.”Ariella Maron, Executive Director, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission“As an urban design, planning, and development professional since the 1990s, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges and triumphs of revitalizing urban spaces. Jonathan Barnett’s book is an essential guide for anyone passionate about creating vibrant communities. What I particularly value is Barnett’s focus on the power of place management organizations—the Business Improvement Districts, Center City Partnerships, and Main Street organizations that are the lifeblood of successful downtowns. He doesn’t just theorize; he shows us, through compelling case studies in a wide array of contexts, how these organizations drive real change. It’s heartening to see the power of place management finally recognized as an essential component for building great places. This book is a must-read for practitioners, policymakers, and anyone who believes in the future of our cities.”David T. Downey, President & CEO, International Downtown Association"This new book reveals that Barnett is still a sharp and knowledgeable analyst of cities. In it, he draws on his two biggest strengths: a unique vision of how cities and their regions function as a whole and a long view of how cities are changing, including history that he witnessed firsthand....Overall, the book offers an optimistic view of urban development today, bolstered by data and analysis of real places."Robert Steuteville, Editor of Public Square: A CNU Journal

• 1. Emerging Trends in Urban Centers2. Reinventing a Legacy Downtown: Center City Philadelphia3. Becoming an Innovation Center: Philadelphia's University City District4. Converting an Edge City into a Downtown: The King of Prussia District5. Transforming Suburban and Neighborhood Centers: Conshohocken and Downtown Ardmore6. Developing Near an Airport: Philadelphia's Airport, Bellwether, Navy Yard, and Comcast Spectacor Developments7. Reviving a By-Passed Downtown: Camden, New Jersey8. Implementing Mixed-Use Zoning, Place-Based Management