Rocky Piro and I are honored that our book, The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century, has been recognized by Planetizen and the American Society of Landscape Architects as one of 2022’s top books. Planetizen awarded the book an Honorable Mention on its prestigious list of the top urban planning books of the year. The following is from the review by James Brasuell, Planetizen Editorial Director:
Claiming a direct lineage from the Urban General Plan by T.J. Kent, The Comprehensive Plan is likely to become a staple in planning classrooms and on the desks of planners studying for the AICP Exam for years to come. The book takes an obvious and significant step away from the top-down, rational planning paradigm embodied by Kent toward a more incremental, advocacy planning paradigm that much more effectively reflects the diversity of the contemporary world while fully implementing a sensitivity to the social and environmental abuses of planning histories past. The effort is aided in great part by consistent reference to recent planning efforts—the examples are so numerous that even Planetizen editors with their ear constantly attuned to planning news can find examples of innovative, tangible planning work in these pages.
In ASLA’s The Dirt, a blog covering landscape architecture and the latest news on the built and natural environments, Senior Communications Manager Jared Green names The Comprehensive Plan one of 12 best books of the year. Jared, who covered Rocky and my session on the book at the 2022 National Planning Conference in San Diego, writes the following:
“The planning practices of the past are inadequate for today’s challenges,” explains David Rouse, ASLA, a landscape architect and planner, who co-authored this book with Rocky Piro, executive director of the Colorado Center for Sustainable Urbanism [recently retired] and former planning director of Denver. After reviewing hundreds of comprehensive plans, they offer a new model for 21st century planning rooted in sustainability, resilience, and equity.
Thanks to Planetizen, ASLA, James Brasuell, and Jared Green for recognizing our book!