Cover Text
The earlier book, Carfree Cities, proposed a
practical arrangement for carfree cities based on
walking, bicycling, and public transport. In Carfree
Design Manual J.H. Crawford considers how to
meld carfree planning with innovative design
methods to achieve great improvements in the
quality of urban design. The goal is to make carfree
cities so irresistibly attractive that people will
clamor for them.
Carfree Design Manual makes city design accessible
to everyone. The design of local streets will be
determined by the people who will use them.
The resulting places will fit the needs and desires
of the residents.
Once cars are removed from city streets, a great
deal of design flexibility arises. In particular, streets
can be much narrower than today. Without cars,
we are free to arrange the intimate, small-scale
neighborhoods that people seem to prefer.
Part I considers theoretical issues in carfree city
planning and design. Practice through the ages is
reviewed and the influence of values is considered.
Methods of analysis are discussed. Density issues
are considered and illustrated.
Part II examines the urban planning processes
that must be completed before design can actually
begin. The influence of planning on design is
considered at length. The social advantages of
urban villages are discussed.
Part III presents a richly-illustrated palette of
the urban elements that make up a pleasing whole.
Streets, squares, buildings, and other elements are
examined in detail.
Part IV turns to the actual design of a carfree
district. Innovative, direct, and simple methods are
proposed to allocate building sites and to engage
the future residents in the design of their new
neighborhood. The methods are based on the
creation of urban villages, which offer a rich social
life to their members. The completed neighborhoods
would reflect the needs, desires, and
hopes of their residents. The process should yield
complex, beautiful neighborhoods
"Crawford 'thinks outside the box.'
He offers a new paradigm for the city,
one that also opens new vistas for
sustainable cities."
Stavros Dimas
Member of the European Commission responsible for Environmental Protection
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