Eric Weiner's "The Geography of Genius" offers a delightful, if limited, analysis of cities throughout history where "genius" has arisen and offers inspiration for planners who want to make cities more than just places to live and do business.
"Taken seriously, 'Geography of Genius' is a troubling book, lauding a scant few individuals throughout history who, by a combination of talent, relative privilege, and good fortune qualify as 'geniuses.' Fortunately, we don’t have to take it that seriously. Its strength and weakness that it is not a rigorous scholarly review but rather a romp through human achievement – and the cities where it has taken place."
"Weiner explains the intuitive notion that most forms of genius require collaboration and, by extension, urban agglomeration. Tech entrepreneurs require programmers and funders. Philosophers require other philosophers. One of Weiner’s refrains is that genius emerges according to what a populace values. Weiner writes, “What is honored in a [place] will be cultivated there.” Viennese love their classical music the way San Franciscans love their convenience."
"The cluster of cities between San Jose and San Francisco 'is not a city,' Weiner writes; 'it is suburban sprawl, which all the California sunshine and digital pixie dust can't hide.' Its success seems to undermine all those nice notions of strolling and quaffing. Indeed, if drinking and walking are key to genius, most modern American cities are doomed."
FULL STORY: Intellectual Tourism, Near and Far: Review of 'The Geography of Genius'
Foolish Utopianism in Today's Top Architecture
Reviewing Douglas Murphy's book "Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture," Jonathan Meades lays into the new utopianism of contemporary architecture. Silicon Valley gets portrayed as both foolish and hypocritical.
Will This Resident Group Get Full Control of the Complex They Helped Fix?
A group of Cambodian immigrants took partial control of an affordable housing property in the 90s, and since then, they’ve made big changes to the complex. But they haven’t been able to get full legal control of the property for decades. Why?
Urban Planning in Lima, Peru
For some people, ‘urban planning’ and ‘Lima’ do not go together. In fact, the Peruvian capital effectively highlights various facets of the urban planning world.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024
Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.
Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data
The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research