APA San Diego Summer Reading
Summer is here. Whether you’re heading to the beach, commuting on the trolley, or just relaxing in your favorite park, it’s time to catch up on some reading.
To help you build your summer reading list, we asked our APA San Diego board members to share some of their favorite books on urban planning, design, and policy. From foundational classics to modern critiques on housing and transit, here are 11 books that are inspiring us right now:
The List:
The Unfinished Metropolis: Igniting the City-Building Revolution by Benjamin Schneider A timely and fresh look at the modern housing crisis, YIMBYism, and how we can build more equitable, sustainable, and dynamic cities for the future.
Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System by Wes Marshall A provocative, eye-opening critique of traditional traffic engineering that asks us to rethink how we design streets to actually prioritize human safety over vehicle speed.
The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch A true planning classic. Lynch explores how people mentally map and navigate urban environments, offering timeless insights into what makes a city legible and memorable.
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson While not strictly a planning book, this essay series explores supply-side progressivism where solving our biggest crises, from housing to clean energy, hinges on building more.
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs Jacobs’ book continues to shape how we view community, sidewalks, mixed uses, and the organic vibrancy of neighborhoods.
Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery Can urban design make us happier? Montgomery dives into the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and city planning to show how the built environment impacts our well-being.
Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature Into Urban Design and Planning by Timothy Beatley This book explores how to weave nature into the urban fabric, creating cities that are resilient, sustainable, and deeply connected to the natural world.
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein An essential, sobering look at the history of redlining, exclusionary zoning, and the deliberate policies that created racially segregated neighborhoods across the United States.
Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives by Jarrett Walker Transit doesn't have to be confusing. Walker strips away the jargon to explain the underlying geometry of public transportation and what makes a transit system genuinely useful to the public.
Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution by Janette Sadik-Khan Written by the former transportation commissioner of NYC, this is a fast-paced, practical guide to reclaiming city streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and public spaces through tactical urbanism.
Cities for People by Jan Gehl is an influential book that argues for a common sense design of urban environments that prioritize human scale, social interaction, and active transit over car-centric infrastructure.
What are you reading this summer? Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know on LinkedIn or tell us in person at our next event!