MIT Press Order without Design: How Markets Shape Cities

I have learned a lot through this book about cities, their policies & the role they play in being a catalyst of economic activity. I am sure this book will be insightful for anyone who has interest in understanding the interplay between the urban economy & planning. Also why some countries & cities prosper while others face stagnation & chaos. Ofcourse this book covers only some dimensions of the reality & other domains like politics, socio-cultural aspects, education, skills, economics & trade needs to be understood to get a clearer understanding of the subject. But, nonetheless an exceptional & valuable addition to my understanding of the subject & my book shelf.Very Well done Prof Alain Bertaud.

Livro engrandecedor quanto ao assunto economia urbana. De forma didática Bertaud mostra (com exemplos reais) não apenas em teoria, como algumas normas, forças, práticas, etc, moldaram e moldam cidades ao redor do mundo. De cidades ricas a cidades emergentes e pobres, com políticas liberais a políticas autoritárias. uma ótima leitura.

I found Mr. Bertaud’s work extraordinarily helpful in understanding the makings and workings of a city. Cities may function a little differently in a post COVID-19 world. This may vary from country to country. However, the socio-economic elements described in this book, cities as labor markets, market development versus design planning, mobility, affordability etc, will remain.

A lot of meat was packed into this ~400 page book. Bertaud argues very convincingly that cities are labor markets.

As a planner with four decades consulting experience this probably the best and most informed book I have yet read on planning. Planning schools are dominated by Marxists and their fellow travellers - I know, I excelled academically by mastering the Marxist method 40 years ago. Typically my urban economics module was taught by a Marxist - who went on to a good job at the ECB. Unfortunately for left wing academics in the real world sustainable prosperity is invariably the product of markets. In a nutshell Alain Bertaud says markets generate the spatial order of cities through property prices. When prices are distorted by design interventions so is the order of cities. As planners we must first understand urban economics if we are to secure affordability at market prices.