THE WELL-TEMPERED CITY: What Modern Science, Ancient Civilizations and Human Behavior Teach Us About the Future of Urban Life – a visionary new book by Jonathan Rose
New Ways to Fight the Next Superstorm
In his new book The Well-Tempered City, Jonathan Rose puts forth some intriguing solutions that involve using the power of nature to harness the destruction that heavy rains and flooding can bring to our urban areas. His provocative book is a must-read for politicians, urban planners, business leaders and anyone else who’s worried about the future of our cities.
In his book, Rose writes about natural infrastructure. This means using nature instead of the brute force of steel and concrete to mitigate flooding and harmful run off.
“What’s so compelling about natural systems solutions is that they not only save costs but also improve the quality of life,” Rose argues. “Urban neighborhoods that have trees can be six degrees cooler, increase real estate value and thus generate more city tax revenue.”
About Jonathan Rose
Recognized for creating communities that literally heal both residents and neighborhoods, Rose is one of the leading thinkers in the United States on the integration of environmental, social, and economic solutions to urban development issues facing the country today.
Rose’s work as founder of investment, development, and urban planning firm Jonathan Rose Companies has received awards from The Urban Land Institute, The American Institute of Architects, The American Planning Association, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, and many others.
In The Well-Tempered City, Jonathan F. P. Rose—the man who “repairs the fabric of cities”—distills a lifetime of interdisciplinary research and firsthand experience into a five-pronged model for how to design and reshape our cities with the goal of equalizing their landscape of opportunity.
Drawing from the musical concept of “temperament” as a way to achieve harmony, Rose argues that well-tempered cities can be infused with systems that bend the arc of their development toward equality, resilience, adaptability, well-being, and the ever-unfolding harmony between civilization and nature.
These goals may never be fully achieved, but our cities will be richer and happier if we aspire to them, and if we infuse our every plan and constructive step with this intention.
To Learn More:
Download America Needs New Ways to Fight the Next Superstorm to read the complete article written by Brian Dumaine in Forbes Magazine.