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by readonthegoapp 1174 days ago
i took a quick look at "Order Without Design" and am not digging what I've read so far.

to decide whether something might be worth a read, i usually try to get a quick feel for it from the title, subtitle, author, author's affiliations, the book's recommendations, etc.

in this case, it _seems_ like what I'm going to find as I cruise thru a couple articles and youtubes and possibly even the book itself as some point (tho, likely not), is just another bad justification for allowing markets (i.e. capital / investors / rich people / the right people) to shape cities -- or shape them more than they're typically allowed to.

The full book title is:

  Order without Design: How Markets Shape Cities
https://www.amazon.com/Order-without-Design-Markets-Cities/d...

if a book about... well, anything... mentions markets, it's probably going to be pro-markets -- that is, 'poor people must obey the markets', not 'markets are created by humans to _serve_ humans'.

couple of the recommendations come from City Journal (hard core conservative city planning, or non-planning), and Richard Florida (hard core liberal/monied city planning).

but, will check it out some more -- maybe i'll be surprised.

1 comments

For what it's worth, those articles and reviews that you mentioned seem to come out of Western and capitalist mindsets, but the author of the book is very French and very much not of that genre.

I think it's likely enough that you might be surprised that it's worth getting the book and seeing what you think.

Of course you might not like it, but I am so starved for novelty that I will explore opportunities for that dopamine hit on principle even if they don't all pan out.

If you read it and find it novel and interesting, I would be honored if you let me know. My email is in my profile.

The author and his late wife are fascinating. Look up the 'order without design podcast', and you're bound to be entertained.

I'm already honored by the amount of due diligence you have done, so even if you don't get the book or get it and don't follow up with me, you've given me a lovely thing, kind internet stranger.