Messy cities : why we can't plan everything Cover Image

Book

Messy cities : why we can't plan everything / edited by Dylan Reid, Zahra Ebrahim, Leslie Woo, and John Lorinc.

ISBN: 9781552455036 (trade paperback)
Physical Description: 333 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: Toronto, ON : Coach House Books, [2025]
Copyright: &copy;2025

Ebrahim, Zahra, (editor.). Lorinc, John, 1963- (editor.). Reid, Dylan, (editor.). Woo, Leslie, (editor.).

Summary:

"Can messiness make our cities more liveable, lively, and inclusive? Crowded streets, sidewalk vendors, jumbled architecture, constant clamour, graffitied walls, parks gone wild: are these signs of a poorly managed city or indicators of urban vitality? Messy Cities: Why We Can't Plan Everything argues that spontaneity and urban work-around are not liabilities but essential elements in all thriving cities. Forty essays by a range of writers from around the world illuminate the role of messy urbanism in enabling creativity, enterprise, and grassroots initiatives to flourish within dense modern cities. With pieces on guerrilla beaches, desire lines, urban interruptions, and the inner lives of unlovely buildings written by experts from all walks of life, Messy Cities makes the case for embracing disorder while not shying away from confronting its challenges"-- Provided by publisher.