City: Rediscovering the Center [Paperback]

William H. Whyte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1990

The result of William Whyte's research is an extremely human, often amusing look at what goes on in our cities' streets. Illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Informal, spontaneous interactions give the modern city its vitality, so Whyte's ( The Organization Man ) enemies are urban planners who evince disregard and even contempt for street life. Part meditation, part design manual, this marvelously observant tour of cities will please anyone who cares about urban livability," lauded PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Whyte's Street Life Project studied the use of urban spaces for 16 years. This follow-up to The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces ( LJ 4/15/80) is an engaging look at the variety of human interactions which make "downtown" vibrant. Whyte looks at such diverse topics as pedestrian movement, concourses and skyways, sunlight and its effects--all from the perspective of a confirmed city-lover. His observations and recommendations can be read with profit and pleasure by professional planners and readers interested in what makes a city tick.
- Diane K. Harvey, SAIS-Johns Hopkins Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 386 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 1st Anchor Books Ed edition (January 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385262094
• ISBN-13: 978-0385262095
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,060,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for any urban planner., June 30, 1999

By 

Randall Reade (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: City: Rediscovering the Center (Paperback)

This book is terrific because William Whyte doesn't relie on any theory. Instead, he logged countless hours watching street corners, public parks and plazas to see how people actually use them, and draws conclusions on how to make them better, safer, and useable. His ideas of planning public areas were first used to a great extent in redeveloping Bryant Park in NYC. Formally a haven for drug users, the city used his findings from this book and turned it into one of the city's most livable and exciting public areas. If only we could design all our streets and plazas with such good common sense!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant study of life on the streets and urban development, March 14, 2011

By 

Taylor Ellwood "http://www.imagineyourreality... - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: City: Rediscovering the Center (Paperback)

In my opinion, part of being a successful business owner is learning about how your business is impacted by different influences. In City, Whyte discusses urban renewal and development and what is effective vs ineffective urban development as well as the impact it has on businesses. I learned a lot from this book and was able to apply some of it to a recent class on leadership that dealt with economic development. Economic development is definitely tied into urban development. This book explains a lot of that and also provides insights into the social life on the streets of any city.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good supplement to Jane Jacobs, October 22, 2011

By 

algo41 "algo41" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City: Rediscovering the Center (Paperback)

This book is a very valuable supplement to Jane Jacobs' "The Death and Life of Great American Cities", but it is considerably longer than it should be, so that skimming is a must. Alternatively, you might begin with chapter 16, "The Rise and Fall of Incentive Zoning". Whyte's book was copyrighted in 1988, but it has not lost its relevance, no more than Jacobs' book has.

In zoning there is a tension between GOOD standards and allowing variances. In theory the latter is fine, but community groups/planners can succumb to pressures or "take ownership" of bad designs by being allowed to play with models and make suggestions, most all of which are subsequently ignored.

I now view plaza's in a new light. Do they allow for enough seating, if only on comfortable ledges at a proper height, are they easily accessible (few stairs), is there grass, trees, sculpture, or even fountains, are they within 3 blocks of high density concentrations of people, do they permit good views of street life (and visa versa for security)? Whyte talks of dysfunctional trash receptacles which did function as tables - I would add almost all plazas skimp on or totally lack tables. I wholeheartedly endorse Whyte's call for more public restrooms, even as part of zoning. Surprisingly, setbacks with arcades find little use (this is where Whyte's time lapse cameras had a role to play), as people will stick to the main sidewalk unless it is raining hard. Blank walls facing the street are anathema.

Tall buildings blocking the sun can create dark canyons, especially on side streets, and impact on plazas. Reflected light can be important, and the quantity and quality depends on the building facades, with porous surfaces best as in brownstones. Whyte suggests reflectors on skyscraper roofs.

As to gentrification, while it may have undesirable side effects, Whyte points out that more low rent housing was lost to abandonment than gentrification, and that most renters move frequently (both stats are based on New York city and are old).