"Building a Better Society: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Reduce Inequality, Polarization, and Reinvigorate Civic Life"

By: Eric Klinenberg (Author)

Eric Klinenberg's Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life is one of the best urban and land use planning Books available today. It provides great value for money, is easy to understand and provides overall satisfaction. Learn how social infrastructure can help combat inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life with this comprehensive and insightful book.

Key Features:

Civic palaces can provide a powerful tool to combat the growing inequality, polarization and disconnection of communities. By providing public spaces that foster social connections and promote life and culture, civic palaces can help bridge the gap between those who are struggling and those who are better off. With access to education, recreation, and other services, civic palaces can provide a platform for members of the community to come together, share experiences and help one another. Moreover, these public spaces can serve as a reminder of the importance of social infrastructure and its potential to foster a more equitable and connected society.
91
B2B Rating
10 reviews

Review rating details

Packaging
91
Binding and page quality
91
Giftable
86
Easy to read
96
Genre
97
Easy to understand
97
Overall satisfaction
96
Value for money
97

Details of "Building a Better Society: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Reduce Inequality, Polarization, and Reinvigorate Civic Life"

  • Sociology of Urban Areas: Sociology of Urban Areas
  • Best Sellers Rank: #250 in City Planning & Urban Development#320 in Urban Planning and Development#689 in Sociology of Urban Areas
  • Dimensions ‏ ‎: 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews: 4.5/5 stars of 360 ratings
  • Language ‏ ‎: English
  • City Planning & Urban Development: City Planning & Urban Development
  • Item Weight ‏ ‎: 1.1 pounds
  • ISBN-13 ‏ ‎: 978-1524761165
  • Urban Planning and Development: Urban Planning and Development
  • Publisher ‏ ‎: Crown; First Edition
  • ISBN-10 ‏ ‎: 1524761168
  • Hardcover ‏ ‎: 288 pages

Comments

Lindsay: A great non-fiction book about social infrastructure - the locations and programs that join individuals in a community (think public parks, libraries, community centres, churchs, etc).

I first heard about this book on a podcast (99 Percent Invisible) and finally got around to reading it recently. There are chapters on parks, natural disasters and climate change (and how outcomes are improved when there is more social infrastructure in a community), health, and others.

The conclusion chapter didn't tie everything together as much as would've liked it seemed more like a collection of facts/anecdotes as opposed to a proper conclusion) but otherwise I really enjoyed the book. I learned a lot and have some new ideas to implement into my own life and community.

Canada on Sep 15, 2023

Don Perlgut: This is a thrilling book, although I only found it some years after it was first published. Klinenberg writes with urgency and a powerful prose - you know that he really cares about the nature of community, and the elements that go into making it work. I "grew up" on Jane Jacobs' book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities", and some reviewers have likened "Palaces for the People" to that classic. I agree; this is a worthy successor, updated to our "current moment". I live in Australia - where we suffer particularly from the impacts of climate change and resultant natural disasters. I found all of the American case studies relevant, timely and appropriate for our experience. Here's an example: following devastating floods in and around Lismore, New South Wales, which destroyed the downtown and thousands of homes, almost all community services and government re-located to the campus of Southern Cross University, which was on "high ground" and not flooded. Social infrastructure in action. Klinenberg wrote the book well in advance of COVID-19, but his analysis and conclusions apply superbly to the COVID experience - areas with strong social infrastructure, community networks...

Australia on Jun 16, 2023

S M Havelka: A book all people concerned with the built environment and infrastructure development ought to read!

United States on Mar 06, 2023

Norcal19: Support your local library.....city planners should read this book

United States on Oct 16, 2022

RYAN FOLK: The way I see social infrastructure designed is such that people would bump into each other (in a good way) so that we can interact in a way that we could not individually. It seems that in this country our infrastructure is designed to keep us apart from each other, so we don't have the kind of social interaction that we would have if our environment was constructed in a way to force such interaction. Let's come together through design.

United States on Nov 17, 2021

Rob: Eric Klinenberg has written a piece of work here that at once illuminates the past and prescribes a path forward for the future. Social infrastructure is the glue that binds us, the social spaces where we gather to Be Better Together. Like our communities themselves, social infrastructure requires maintenance and care, and being part of them is an active process. This book has been a foundation to the work that I've been doing to bring people together and improve our communities, and I'm really thankful to have it!

Canada on Jan 29, 2021

Shauna RiordanShauna Riordan: I’ve listen to this audio book two times through and had to purchase a hard copy to be able to reference and better reflect. As Ive continued with my architectural studies I’ve felt the profession was lacking a humanity not touched upon in my courses. Klinenberg offers an interesting perspective on the relationship between people and place. His message feels relevant. It’s a weight message that left me conflict in our current atmosphere. There are health impacts related to social isolation, especially among the elderly. It just so happens that we’re amidst a global pandemic.

Give it a read , you won’t be disappointed.

United States on Jan 22, 2021

Tiago: I really enjoyed this book and the lessons it imparts about the critical importance of infrastructure in today’s world. It ranges from broad theory to intimate, personal moments in the lives of real people, and everything in between. Few books tackle such a wide-ranging slice of society as social infrastructure, while also providing specific examples of how it intersects with daily life. Highly recommended for anything seeking a better understanding of how modern institutions and infrastructure shapes our future.

United States on May 28, 2019

"Building a Better Society: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Reduce Inequality, Polarization, and Reinvigorate Civic Life" Stealing Home: Exploring the Lives of Angelenos and the Dodgers in Los Angeles A Pattern Language: Creating Sustainable Towns, Buildings, and Construction
"Building a Better Society: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Reduce Inequality, Polarization, and Reinvigorate Civic Life" Stealing Home: Exploring the Lives of Angelenos and the Dodgers in Los Angeles A Pattern Language: Creating Sustainable Towns, Buildings, and Construction
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Total Reviews 10 reviews 87 reviews 27 reviews
Sociology of Urban Areas Sociology of Urban Areas
Best Sellers Rank #250 in City Planning & Urban Development#320 in Urban Planning and Development#689 in Sociology of Urban Areas #141 in Hispanic American Demographic Studies#554 in Baseball #4,935 in U.S. State & Local History #1 in Architectural Criticism#2 in Urban & Land Use Planning #5 in Architectural Drafting & Presentation
Dimensions ‏ ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.63 inches 2 x 5.7 x 7.9 inches
Customer Reviews 4.5/5 stars of 360 ratings 4.7/5 stars of 688 ratings 4.7/5 stars of 863 ratings
Language ‏ ‎ English English English
City Planning & Urban Development City Planning & Urban Development
Item Weight ‏ ‎ 1.1 pounds 1.2 pounds 2.13 pounds
ISBN-13 ‏ ‎ 978-1524761165 978-1541742215 978-0195019193
Urban Planning and Development Urban Planning and Development
Publisher ‏ ‎ Crown; First Edition PublicAffairs; Illustrated edition Oxford University Press
ISBN-10 ‏ ‎ 1524761168 1541742214 0195019199
Hardcover ‏ ‎ 288 pages 352 pages 1171 pages
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