Municipal Reference Library Notes


Book Description







Planning and Zoning New York City


Book Description

Two unique events shaped the magnificent unnatural geography of New York City and created its sense of place: the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 and the zoning resolution of 1916. The first imprinted Manhattan with a two-dimensional plan, a rectangular grid defined by broad north-south avenues, multiple east-west cross streets, and by its standard units: blocks of two hundred feet by six hundred to eight hundred feet. The second determined the city's three-dimensional form by restricting uses by district, by limiting the maximum mass of a building allowed on a given site.This book addresses the fundamental challenge facing every American municipality: Can zoning - the basic tool of municipal land-use control - balance growth and equity? As New York plans for the future, the nation's foremost commentators on urban planning, architecture, land-use law, and design discuss the accomplishments of New York's zoning laws and explore alternative scenarios for guiding the city's future development.The chapters in this book were originally prepared for a symposium on the history and future of planning in New York City. The authors provide a skillful blend of urban history, architectural review, economic analysis, and social commentary. Contributors include such experts as Jonathan Barnett, Sigurd Grava, Frances Halsband, Jerold Kayden, Brian Kintish, Eric Kober, Michael Kwartler, Larry Littlefield, Norman Marcus, R. Susan Motley, Richard A. Plunz, Peter D. Salins, Richard L. Schaffer, John Shapiro, Robert A. M. Stern, Roy Strickland, Marilyn Taylor, Robert F. Wagner, Jr., and Carol Willis. This book is essential reading for planners, architects, historians, developers, and municipal officials concerned with guiding the future of America's cities. Its lessons are vital for every city in America.




Supertall: How the World's Tallest Buildings Are Reshaping Our Cities and Our Lives


Book Description

The global boom in skyscrapers—why it’s happening now, how they’re made, and what they do to cities and people. We are living in a new urban age, and its most tangible expression is the “supertall”: megastructures that are dramatically bigger, higher, and more ambitious than any in history. Cities around the world are racing to build the first mile-high building, stretching the limits of engineering and design as never before. In this fascinating work of urban history and design, TED resident Stefan Al—himself an experienced architect—explores the factors that have led to this worldwide boom. He reveals the marvelous and underappreciated feats of engineering that make today’s supertalls a reality, from double-decker elevators that silently move up to 50 miles per hour to the sophisticated blend of polymers and steel fibers that enables concrete to withstand 8,000 tons of pressure per square meter. Taking readers behind the scenes of the building and design of remarkable megastructures, both from the past (the Empire State Building, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower) and the present (Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, London’s Shard, Shanghai Tower), Al demonstrates the impact of these innovations. Yet while the supertall is undoubtedly a testament to great technological victories, it can come at an environmental and social cost. Focusing on four global cities—London, New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore—Al examines the risks of wealth inequality, carbon emissions, and contagion that stem from supertalls. And he uncovers the latest innovations in sustainable building, from skyscrapers made of wood to tree-covered buildings, that promise to yield a better urban future. Featuring more than thirty architectural drawings, Supertall is both a fascinating exploration of our greatest accomplishments and a powerful argument for a more equitable way forward.







Zoning and Civic Development


Book Description




A Practical Companion to the Constitution


Book Description

This is the most comprehensive and readable one-volume reference book in print, accessible to lay readers and specialists alike, on the meaning of the American Constitution as the Supreme Court has interpreted it. It is an indispensable tool for students and lay persons who want to understand today's constitutional controversies and their background in our history. It is equally useful to lawyers and other specialists who seek quick reviews of constitutional issues with immediate reference to cases for further research. Unlike conventional treatises that discuss the Constitution clause by clause or under a few broad concepts, this book uniquely treats every aspect of the Constitution and every constitutional topic in alphabetical order, in more than 1,000 short essays. It is extensively cross-referenced and exhaustively indexed, so that even a reader with only a minimal notion of the Constitution or constitutional law can quickly find clear answers to questions about pressing issues of the day. Among the other unique features: a set of introductory essays on the background of the Constitution and the many difficulties of interpreting it; a concordance to each word and phrase in the Constitution; a year-by-year chronology of justices who have served on the Supreme Court; and a table of the more than 2,650 Supreme Court cases from 1792 to the present referred to in the book, listing the vote, the author of the majority opinion, the concurring and dissenting justices, and the length of the opinions.




A History of Housing in New York City


Book Description

Since its emergence in the mid-nineteenth century as the nation's "metropolis," New York has faced the most challenging housing problems of any American city, but it has also led the nation in innovation and reform. The horrors of the tenement were perfected in New York at the same time that the very rich were building palaces along Fifth Avenue; public housing for the poor originated in New York, as did government subsidies for middle-class housing. A standard in the field since its publication in 1992, A History of Housing in New York City traces New York's housing development from 1850 to the present in text and profuse illustrations. Richard Plunz explores the housing of all classes, with comparative discussion of the development of types ranging from the single-family house to the high-rise apartment tower. His analysis is placed within the context of the broader political and cultural development of New York City. This revised edition extends the scope of the book into the city's recent history, adding three decades to the study, covering the recent housing bubble crisis, the rebound and gentrification of the five boroughs, and the ecological issues facing the next generation of New Yorkers. More than 300 illustrations are integrated throughout the text, depicting housing plans, neighborhood changes, and city architecture over the past 130 years. This new edition also features a foreword by the distinguished urban historian Kenneth T. Jackson.




Property Law


Book Description

An innovative Property casebook that re-imagines the law school casebook format and covers all the major topics included in a basic 1L Property course, Property Law, Second Edition borrows some pedagogical features commonly found in undergraduate textbooks, making use of sidebars, illustrations, and other design devices to present material more clearly. The authors present concepts simply, then move the discussion toward complexity—the opposite of the approach taken by many current texts. Clear yet sophisticated, the casebook is the perfect choice for all skill levels. Including problems that students can and should be able to do on their own, explanatory answers, and skills-based exercises, this casebook is both professor-friendly and student-friendly. Themes that run through the course are highlighted throughout the book, resulting in a casebook that clearly presents the fundamentals of property law. This allows students to develop an understanding of basic concepts on their own while allowing professors to assist their students in developing an advanced understanding of property law. The authors of Property Law are experts on the property coverage on the bar exam, and while this casebook goes far beyond test-only material, students will benefit from their expertise and will learn every topic they are likely to see on the bar exam. New to the Second Edition: Additional text on racial discrimination and other critical issues in a subtle way, giving instructors the choice of how deeply to explore those issues. Revisions to Chapter 9 to include Murr v. Wisconsin, the Supreme Court’s most recent regulatory takings case. A Revised Chapter 10 that includes new material on Intellectual Property and Property Theory. Minor corrections and refinements throughout the casebook. Professors and students will benefit from: A text that starts from simplicity and moves to complexity: The book first provides text that explains the basic doctrine, then presents a simple case example, and finally moves to more complex issues. Cases that are introduced with explanatory text discussing the law and issues surrounding the case. This radically different approach from most other casebooks allows students to have a better grasp of the concepts and themes before they even read the case. Problems and exercises that students can complete on their own, with explanatory answers included in an appendix. An innovative design that aids student learning, with sidebars, diagrams, charts, and illustrations that make concepts clearer to students. Cases that are used as examples, not introductions to legal rules. Many topics in the book feature introductory text, illustrations, and problem sets before a single case is introduced, to aid in students’ legal learning. The inclusion of sample documents, helping students to understand core concepts. A book perfect for a four-credit course but also features a modular design that can be used in courses of varying credit size. More comprehensive bar exam topic coverage than any competing book.