The Experience of Place: A New Way of Looking at and Dealing with Our Radically Changing Cities and Countryside

It was Mr. Hiss' book that first inspired me to pursue a career as a city planner/city administrator. I recently reread the book to refresh much of the enthusiasm for carefully crafting a sense of place that, too often, can be dulled by the grind of bureaucracy. The New York Times is only partially right in suggesting that this book is essential reading for city planners, developers and city administrators". It also should be reread, upon occassion, to provide continued inspiration for better planning and development. The book can be effectively supplemented by Howard Kunsteler's Geography of Nowhere and Home From Nowhere.

I was required to read this book as a part of a real-estate development/project management class, and was surprised and refreshed by the author's insights into public space and evironments. The book attempts to get at fundamental values of creating "a sense of place," and although decidedly a bit frou-frou and subjective at times, it offers tangible alternative avenues to our notions of land-use planning and real-estate development. Extremely easy-reading, and insightful.