Charles L. Marohn Bücher

"Confessions of a Recovering Engineer will be a logical Part 2' to Chuck's book Strong Towns. It builds on Strong Towns: Bottom-Up Revolution by focusing on the core transportation insights Marohn has developed in more than a decade of writing for Strong Towns. The article Confessions of a Recovering Engineer (November 2011) remains the most widely read and distributed piece ever published on the Strong Towns website. A In the past few years, we have seen an increase in public interest as it pertains to our local communities and improving upon them. Put simply, more and more people are beginning to care about their community and improving it. Confessions of a Recovering Engineer examines the one of the key elements of any community both large and small: the transportation system. It gives non-technical people (really, non-engineers, which will include planners and elected officials and members of the public) permission, along with the capacity, to question the accepted engineering practices that shape their city. Readers will get a better understanding as to why streets, roads, highways, etc. are designed in the manner they are, why transportation design is vital to a thriving community, and how they can be improved upon the better the communities they serve. It will highlight real examples of poor design and how it has had a negative impact on the community it serves as well as case-studies in which improvement has helped to revitalize said community"-- Provided by publisher

A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes is presented through forward-thinking ideas that challenge modern wisdom and offer a fresh vision for urban development in the United States. The author, co-founder of the Strong Towns movement, explains why cities struggle to meet their basic needs and introduces a paradigm that addresses this issue. The conventional approach of inducing growth and development as a response to urban financial challenges is examined, revealing its inadequacy. New developments and high-risk investments fail to generate sufficient wealth for sustainability, leaving cities in continued distress. This book emphasizes the importance of bottom-up investments that minimize risk while enhancing community financial strength and improving residents' quality of life. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the flawed logic behind the traditional pursuit of endless urban growth and discover practical solutions for financial challenges through low-risk investments and grassroots initiatives. Insights and tools are provided to help break the cycle of budget shortfalls and downturns. By shifting focus from top-down growth to rebuilding prosperity, community leaders can embrace a revolutionary approach to urban development that acknowledges existing problems and charts a new path forward.