Cranston Public Library

"In Walking in the City with Jane, award-winning author Susan Hughes tells the fictionalized story of Jane Jacobs through a celebration of city life and grassroots activism. Even as a young girl, Jane was an independent thinker with an extraordinary imagination and sense of wonder. She was known to challenge her teacher and was often found playing with her imaginary friends, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Cedric the warrior. Always curious...

This atlas of architectural design advocates rational as well as humanistic principles in the development of the urban environment. Drawing upon the ideals that inspired the great Roman architect, it promotes the Vitruvian maxims of longevity, beauty, and commodity. It also defines the thinking behind modern American city planning. First published in 1922, The American Vitruvius arose from a collaboration between two students of American urbanism....

BILL DE BLASIO SET THE STAGE FOR THE RUIN OF NEW YORK CITY The Last Days of New York tells the story of how a corrupted political system hollowed out New York City, leaving it especially vulnerable, all in the name of equity and "fairness." When, in the future, people ask how New York City fell to pieces, they can be told-quoting Hemingway-"gradually, then suddenly." New Yorkers awoke from a slumber of ease and prosperity to discover that their...

The metropolis of the future - as perceived by architect Hugh Ferriss in 1929 - was both generous and prophetic in vision. Largely an illustrated essay on the modern city and its future, Ferriss' book incorporated his philosophy of architecture. Includes powerful illustrations of towering structures, personal space, wide avenues, and rooftop parks. 59 illustrations.