What People Are Saying
“A plea for a renewed commitment to authentic urbanism and an invitation to learn from history as our cities enter a future of unprecedented change.”
– Alex Steffen, writer, editor, public speaker and futurist
“One of Chuck Wolfe’s great gifts is an extraordinary photographer’s eye for capturing visual images of everyday, but evocative, city life. Another is an uncommonly strong intellectual grounding in urban planning theory. In Urbanism Without Effort, he combines the two in unique fashion to show us how unplanned places can often teach us more about great placemaking than planned ones.”
— Kaid Benfield, Senior Counsel for Environmental Strategies, PlaceMakers LLC, Former Director, Sustainable Communities and Smart Growth, Natural Resources Defense Council
“Chuck’s work is what happens when art meets science in placemaking. His talent for capturing places being themselves is so important in the placemaker’s toolkit, yet can be missed if we are not paying attention. Lucky for us, Chuck is always paying attention and this book is the proof.”
– Dr. Katherine Loflin, the City Doctor, leading authority and national expert on creating next generation cities
“This is a must read for those who want to understand in words and pictures what stands behind great cites. We’re proud to see a Seattle native son helping to show the way.”
— Mike McGinn, Former Mayor of Seattle, and founding Executive Director, Seattle Great City Initiative
“A picture is worth 1000 words, and this short book is a muli-volume treatise on the essence of urbanism. It is a ‘must read’ and a ‘must see’ view into what works as envisioned in both the keen mind and the sharp eye of one of the most astute observers of our generation.”
— Dwight H. Merriam, founder of Land Use Group at Robinson & Cole LLP, Past Chair, American Bar Association Section of State and Local Government Law, and Fellow/Past President of the American Institute of Certified Planners
“Readers will come away motivated to find, experience and document their own favourite places find ways to apply effortless urbanism in their own neighbourhood.”
– Spacing
“Wolfe provides something rare in contemporary urbanist writing – rich illustrations and examples from real life – both historical and current. His writing about the past and the future of urban form offers readers inspiration, historical context, and a better understanding of how a sustainable, inviting urban environment is created.”
– Eco-Libris
“Nicely put. If you like thinking about the intersection of people and place, you may like this attractively priced book a great deal.”
– The Switchboard blog
“…a book of inspiration and aspiration. It makes the reader yearn for places with soul.”
– Better Cities and Towns