Small, Gritty, and Green: The Promise of America's Smaller Industrial Cities in a Low-Carbon World (Urban and Industrial Environments)

I've only gotten through the first twenty or so pages thus far, but I am impressed to this point with Tumber's foundation for her arguments. As a native and resident of Syracuse, which receives quite a bit of space in this book, I am interested in the author's thoughts on the city. I am reading the book partly for the commentary and because I am just generally interested in the subject, and partly as another source of ideas and inspiration for my thesis project (I'm a graduate student of landscape architecture at SUNY-ESF, mentioned in the book). As I get deeper into the book, I will update this review. Until then, I will say I appreciate that finally, some attention is being paid to cities like Syracuse, cities that combine the best of the big city with the best of the countryside. Regardless of my final opinions of this book when I finish reading it, I am grateful to the author for helping to get this very needed conversation started.

I heard her interview podcast with Kunstler and was intrigued so I ordered the book. I've read quite a bit on the topic of Transition and powering down and her book, while reinforcing some of my ideas, provided new and relevant information to this topic. I like that Catherine provided detailed notes and sources at the end of the day, this a reference book for exploring ideas that she raised in more detail.

What impressed me about this book was not just how attuned it is to the challenges that small industrial cities have inherited but how much hope it holds for these cities' future. The book offers dozens of compelling accounts of initiatives and controversies surrounding urban revival, suburban sprawl, effective land use, and renewable energy drawn from small cities in the Midwest and Northeast. It is highly informed by current debates in urban planning and environmentalism, including academic ones, while thankfully never getting bogged down in academic jargon. An ideal primer for anyone who cares about the economic viability of small cities and their role in a sustainable future.

This book is a terrific read. What I love about it is that is sketches out a roadmap for the future. Climate change presents enormous challenges to our food supply, our economy and our very way of life. This book -- which is informed with interviews of mayors, conservationists, farmers, green entrepreneurs, and urban planners -- presents many thought provoking ideas. Not least of which is that the gritty small cities left behind with the collapse of domestic manufacturing can play a vital role in a low carbon future.

I found the book to be okay. It contained little that was surprising or new to me. At the same time, I found the points of view competently argued and consistently worth serious consideration. If you are new to the topic, this book is a good place to start. If you have done significant study in this area, you'd probably be better off considering something more complex or cutting-edge.

While interesting, this book raises few new ideas. It does an excellent job of highlighting what is taking place, but doesn't challenge the reader to push the envelope into new paradigms. Also, was disappointed that nearly half the book {43%} was endnotes and sources.

Amazing that this was the second book by an anthropology academic that was a good story to read with exciting and encouraging ideas to consider.

The author is that rare combination of visionary and pragmatist and she lays out a coherent, well thought-out plan and program for revitalizing American small cities in an ecologically responsible manner.