Last harvest

A book that helped me understand why so many suburban developments look the same, and are so unsatisfying. It's the economics (and to a certain extent, the politics). Rybczynski profiles a development in the Philadelphia exurbs, from the first planning until the first families move in. All along, the developers have great intentions about making a 'new traditional development': but in the end, the economics (cost of the land and building process, and the need to appeal to mass taste) make the development a lot more similar to everything else.returnreturnNot as good as fascinating as some of Rybczynski's other insightful books on buildings and spaces, but still interesting.