The New Urban Crisis Hardcover – 28 Sept. 2017

For those who enjoy a conversational style of writing (thus, in the first-person), may find the depth of analysis a little easier to understand than might otherwise be the case. For those with a global perspective, the dominance of United States urban analysis might be a little disappointing. Nevertheless, conclusions from the particular (inductive reasoning), have some application generally. He suggests that the most successful metropolitan areas were those that excelled in the '3Ts of economic development; technology, talent and tolerance (p.xv). He then goes on to analyse three clusters of workers; knowledge-based, blue collar and service worker (p.xviii). He presents five dimensions to the New Urban Crisis (pp.6-8). He then offers seven interventions to help overcome this new crisis (p.11). The lack of housing supply is hampered by the New Urban Luddism of 'the enormous and complex thicket of zoning laws...that restrict the supply of housing in many cities (p.21). Outside that author's analysis: London has not expanded spatially in the past two decades but has absorbed over one million more people. One (of many) reason(s) for the lack of housing supply there is the planning restrictions. One consequence is increased housing prices compared with the rest of UK and ordinary people being "priced out of the market" and therefore priced out of where the want to live. Another factor for ordinary people being priced or pushed out is that of gentrification (pp.59...). The formerly comparatively static picture of town planning must now embrace a much more dynamic and holistic approach to the urban challenge. He cites three waves of urbanisation; the third 'and even bigger wave will be the coming of urbanisation in Africa' (p.169). He makes a plea for investment in infastructure 'for density and growth' (p.195). He identifies two approaches to tackling poverty; people based (ultimately, to increase incomes) and place-based approaches (tackling areas lacking infrastructure and basic services thus reducing multiple deprivation). Apart from stressing often, the knowledge-based success of successful cities, they mask the inequalities - the disadvantaged blue-collar and service workers. To be an economist is in common parlance. To be an urbanist, is not. It needs to be in order inculcate a notion of urban thinking that understands not only the dynamic analysis through systems thinking but also, the resulting inter-connected interventions that are vital to successful urban futures. If this book raises awareness of a new 'urbanist' perspective, that would be helpful.

In 2002 Florida wrote, The Rise of the Creative Class. He argued in a powerful account that the likes of Notting Hill would soon rescue the City from a frightful dystopia. Unfortunately, for him the model collapsed. The creatives he loved became rich and drove out the poor. They became nimbys. Florida's utopia was no more. He called what happened the great urban crisis, hence this book.It is a kind of apology. The author has raided the archives particularly for masses of statistics. Carefully selected they show urban wealth and poverty growing further apart, and not only in London. There is he argues a crisis of the suburbs. The poor are getting angry and are threatening to explode. He mentions the well known rise in house prices but then this is true of almost every major city in the world. Hong Kong is far worse than London.He fails to use some simple economics to explain why house prices rise. They do so when they are too cheap, not too dear. These rises indicate prosperity. Many things cause London house prices to rise, for example falling interest rates. A simple calculation would have proved this. Also it is no good bashing Arab and other foreign investors. A recent study has shown they constitute a very small factor .It is very difficult to read this and not be left with the feeling that The author has missed the intended target. There is a growing crisis but it is not this one. The author's solutions are hardly novel . They are also unconvincing. One or two undoubtedly would be welcomed by property speculators, just as they were nearly thirty years ago. Of course, some suffer in London and elsewhere but to describe this as the central crisis of our times is ridiculous. A friend recently regaled me with the horrific state of Calcutta. Now there is a real and growing crisis. Perhaps Florida will go there for his next book.