Acknowledgments -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Urban Desiderata: A Path toward Prosperity -- 3. The Tao of Urbanism: Rendering the Latent Manifest and the Possible Inevitable. Case Studies: The High Line, Canalscape -- 4. Co-Creation: From Egosystem to Ecosystem. Case Studies: Civic Center, Envision Utah, BIMStorm and Onuma System -- 5. Going with the Flow: The New Design with Nature. Case Studies: Open Space Seattle 2100, The CEDAR Approach, University of Arkansas Community Design Center -- 6. The Art of Urbanism: A Practice Primer. Case Studies: Sunrise Park, Groundwork -- 7. From Good to Great Urbanism: Beyond Sustainability to Prosperity -- 8. Sideways Urbanism: Rotating the Pyramid -- 9. Conclusion -- Appendix A: Themes/Features of Good Urbanism -- Appendix B: Good Urbanism Is -- Notes -- References -- Index.

We all have a natural nesting instinct—we know what makes a good place. And a consensus has developed among urban planners and designers about the essential components of healthy, prosperous communities. So why aren’t these ideals being put into practice? In Good Urbanism, Nan Ellin identifies the obstacles to creating thriving environments, and presents a six-step process to overcome them: prospect, polish, propose, prototype, promote, present. She argues that we need to reach beyond conventional planning to cultivate good ideas and leverage the resources to realize them. Ellin illustrates the process with ten exemplary projects, from Envision Utah to Open Space Seattle. Each case study shows how to pair vision with practicality, drawing on our best natural instincts and new planning tools. For planners, urban designers, community developers, and students of these fields, Ellin’s innovative approach offers an inspired, yet concrete path to building good places.