Customer Reviews

Better, Not Bigger: How To Take Control of Urban Growth and Improve Your Community

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I have read many books on the subject of tackling suburban sprawl. Although the solutions offered by these books vary, they can be summarized as such: (1) Limit sprawl in rural areas and redirect it to higher-density redevelopment of existing urban and suburban areas. (2) Provide a viable alternative to automobile dependency in the form of walkable communities and quality public transit. Fodor ignores these solutions and instead proposes that individual communities should banish all growth from their jurisdictions. This is an easy trap to fall into, since for the last 50 years, most growth has been in the suburban sprawl mold, which is profitable for developers but generally damaging to communities and the environment. What Fodor fails to mention is that stopping growth in "your community" creates more sprawl in rural areas where there are fewer protesting residents. This growth will likely be of a lower density, and more car-dependant than the growth you had banished from "your community". If you want a more far-sighted view of what to do about suburban sprawl, read J.H. Kunstler's "The Geography of nowhere", or Newman & Kenworthy's "Sustainability and Cities".

Mr. Fodor has done an excellent job of exposing the ins and outs of urban planning and growth. His sources are prolific and complete with a well balanced presentation of the challenges of growth and development to any community. For me, this book was a "suspicions confirmed" expose' of why it becomes so much more expensive to live in a city. This book is an excellent read with many interesting case studies, charts, analyses, and graphics and I have reviewed it and quoted it often as I have prepared to address our local planning commission and city council. Most of my urban planning and growth questions were addressed in this book.

The public has come to accept growth as natural, or at least inevitable, as a result of unbalanced coverage in the media. Pro-growth forces, such as the building and real estate industries, are a significant source of advertising revenue, so there is little motivation to present alternative views. Fordor, in his book, presents carefully documented rebuttals to most of the common pro-growth arguments, making this an excellent book for readers who are concerned about environmental and municipal planning issues.

This book was terrific! I bought this book to help enhance my understanding of a controversial over $1 billion mall expansion project in my community. Fodor's comments and insight were 100% right on target. From the elitist few who would benefit from it pushing this mega deal, to creation of a false sense of urgency to rush through a 30 year tax break to the developers, to offering up false either/or choices......this book was like a blueprint to how this project is being forced on the taxpayers. I found it extremely insightful and enlightening and would recommend it as absolute "must reading" for anyone who wishes to understand the urban growth machine and it can ruin a community. The bottom line is that smarter growth is better then stupid growth, and that is what Eben Fodor teaches those of us who truly care about our community.

Eben Fodor's book is wonderful. He has given me a way to put my feelings into words - Stop the Growth Machine. Reading this book was like pouring out my heart and soul. I kept finding myself saying, "Yes" as I agreed with so many of the findings of Mr. Fodor. I am so tired of my elected officials saying we must continue growing/developing (and thus ruining) our community to stay economically viable. "Bigger Not Better" confirms my belief that this is not true. If you are living in one of the many American towns/cities that is experiencing rapid, unchecked development, read this book!

This book was terrific! I had bought this book to help enhance my understanding of a controversial $1 billion plus expansion project in my community. Eben Fodor's comments and insights were 100% right on target. This book was like a blueprint as to how this mega deal is being forced down the throats of the citizens of my community. From the elistist few of the "urban growth machine" that would benefit from this project, to the creation of a false sense of urgency to push through our city council for a 30 year tax break for the developer, to the p.r. blitz offering up false either/or choices...everything discussed in "Better not Bigger" is happening in my hometown. This is absolutely "must reading" for anyone who wants to understand how the "urban growth machine" can ruin community. What Eben Fodor teaches is that smart growth is better then stupid growth. If you care about the community you call "home".....read this book!

A major underlying assumption in our society today is that growth is good. We need growth! Growth is good for business, good for the community, good for you and me.

Except, of course, that it doesn't work that way.

Who sez?

Eben Fodor, that's who. Fodor is a professional community planning consultant from Eugene, Oregon. He has written a book that defies the conventional wisdom, and backs it up with solid evidence. Its title is "Better Not Bigger: How to Take Control of Urban Growth and Improve Your Community" (New Society Publishers, 1999).

Chapter 3 is called "The 12 Big Myths of Growth". Most of these myths are so deeply entrenched that people never even question them. However, Fodor refers to authoritative studies showing that just the opposite is true in each case. ... I will buy a copy of this book for any Asheville area politician or business leader who asks me. If you would like to see your representative get a copy, please call him or her and tell them to get their order in! ...

This book was terrific! I bought this book to help enhance my understanding of a controversial over $1 billion mall expansion project in my community. Fodor's comments and insight were 100% right on target. From the elitist few who would benefit from it pushing this mega deal, to creation of a false sense of urgency to rush through a 30 year tax break to the developers, to offering up false either/or choices......this book was like a blueprint to how this project is being forced on the taxpayers. I found it extremely insightful and enlightening and would recommend it as absolute "must reading" for anyone who wishes to understand how the urban growth machine can ruin a community. The bottom line is that smarter growth is better then stupid growth, and that is what Eben Fodor teaches those of us who truly care about our community.

Since the pro-growth sentiment dominates conventional newspapers, TV newscasts, radio programs and other media, rarely does the average citizen like me get the chance to have her hunches validated: all this growth actually is NOT good. Planner Eben Fodor elegantly spells out and debunks "The 12 Myths of Growth," discusses and exposes the machinations of "The Urban Growth Machine," and directs us on how to discover the true costs of growth in our communities -- environmental, economic and social. Don't miss Appendix A (Selected References on Urban Growth): extensive listings of studies and resources in eight categories related to urban growth. Thank you, Eben Fodor!

This is an amazing book that deeply explores the unwanted urban sprawl that has turned our cities into vast tracts of strip malls and patches of planned living communities. The book shows that we are not just the unknowing backers of these new developments. We can keep sustainable cities if only we put in the effort. A must read!!!