Darrin Nordahl has a new book out, e-book format only, called Making Transit Fun! You can download Chapter 1 here: Download PDF.
I will be appearing with Darrin Thursday Wednesday night in Seattle, to promote both of our books. Details in the far-right column under my photo.
For my review of Darrin's previous book, My Kind of Transit, see here. Note that Darrin is such a classy guy that he links to my review on his website, even though my review raised major objections to that book.
Darrin is a great writer, a keen observer, and a committed urbanist. While we have utterly different perspectives (compared by Treehugger's Lloyd Alter here and by Slate's Tom Vanderbilt here) we agree about almost everything that really matters. I look forward to reading and reviewing his new book, and meeting him again in Seattle on Wednesday.
Jarrett, you keep saying that you’re going to be in Seattle Thursday, but all of the local press says that you’re going to be here Wednesday. The venue, Town Hall, says the same: http://townhallseattle.org/from-island-press-darrin-nordahl-and-jarrett-walker-perspectives-on-public-transit/
Can you clarify?
Hmm. I want to know more about the usefulness of this dynamic of producing dueling books. If you really agree “on what matters” from utterly different backgrounds, it behooves you both to produce a collaborative effort. I would be very interested in the new disagreements and new questions provided.
Let me just say that collaborative friction would be interesting to watch, like Waldheim vs. Duany, that’s for sure. But it would would probably lead interesting places and most likely outclass them both, since neither of those two is interested in erecting a ladder for their proponents to see beyond their pony show. (Of course, in the “argument” between landscape urbanism and new urbanism we are looking at what Frank Gruber correctly called the “narcissism of small differences”, whereas real urbanists concern themselves with the differences between LA and Chicago… But that’s another matter I won’t get into.)
Brice. Yikes! Sorry! It's Wednesday! Fixed!
I might not agree with Jarrett on many points but he managed to convince me of one thing (it wasn’t hard, I’m a mathematician, after all): you can use camels, elephants, horse carriages, trains, buses or streetcars, but if a transit system is not geometrically sound it won’t work.
However I tend to agree with Darrin on another point: in my experience making driving around more difficult may (and will) shift people to transit, but it is not a cultural shift. So it is, by its nature, opportunistic and transitory; if we want a more permanent shift we have to act on other aspects of the human nature.
So first we need a Jarrett to design such a system, then we need guys like Alon Levy or Cap’n Transit to push for the right transit mode ((i.e. avoid buses at all cost) and finally we need a Darrin Nordahl to add fun and joy to the experience.
I do believe that the “theoretically perfect” transit system can only come from a merging of all these contributions. In a way in Europe we are trying to do something on these lines; it is not always easy and/or successful, but I believe it is the only sensible way to go.
Thanks for the kind words, Jarrett. The feeling is mutual.
Looking forward to
ThursdayWednesday 😉Eric O. I don't think either Darrin or I is motivated for a moment by a desire to produce duelling books. While I did have to raise strong objections to his first book, the whole notion of a lasting disagreement is mostly a marketing angle, but hey, it seems to be working …
Just bought Darrin’s Making Transit Fun ebook on Kobo. Amazon and Google didn’t want to sell the eboook to Malaysia. Didn’t try B&N. Didn’t really want to read it on my iPad. So now have Kobo app on my desktop and android sgs2.
Will there be an ebook version of Human Transit in near future, Jarrett? I tried our local main bookstore MPH, but no Human Transit in stock, will take 2-3 months for special order.
In Malaysia probably cheapest to order from Australian publisher NewSouth. See link at right above cover photo.