Review

Suburban Transformations is a strong book. Although it leans towards the conceptual, its focus on mapping real conditions and using them towards the development of meaningful design proposals that give identity to placeless locations gives it a grounding uncommon to such books. The processes described and tools given are clearly described and readily accessible all those who read it... Suburban Transformations follows through on giving its readers a means of finding and enhancing the particular aspects that make our suburbs unique and showing us how they can be used to create places with meaningful identities. All those interested in what the future can hold for our edge cities, or who want to contribute to their transformation, should read this book. --Re:Place, July 2008

Suburban Transformations takes a look at what has gone wrong with suburban development and how it can be reversed. The author's research focuses on how to work with what already is built, the natural landscape and community characteristics to turn poorly designed suburbs into livable, sustainable communities with character and identity. Paul Lukez's method integrates multiple paths for future planned development while remaining flexible, depending on a community's desired focus. --Eco-Newsletter, July 2008

Product Description

Smart Growth advocates, environmentalists, and New Urbanists have all tried in their own ways to spread the message of reforming current land use patterns. Their solutions are often criticized for being overly prescriptive, opposed to growth, or nostalgic. Suburban Transformations offers an alternative to these practices while synthesizing many of the ideas and proposals that they put forth. Both a work of theory and a practical tool for suburban community planning, the book introduces the adaptive design process: a method that allows for the organic transformation of communities from siteless suburbs and edge cities into places with their own distinct identity and unique character.

Five case studies provide fully expressed examples of the process, beginning with a sophisticated system of mapping and culminating in computer projections of likely future outcomes, giving the designer the ability to project changes in the community fabric and adding that knowledge to the designer's kit of place-making tools.