As the United States becomes increasingly urbanized, how its citizens experience and interact with the natural world will become more and more influenced by how the nation’s cities are arranged. For those charged with – as well as others who are simply interested in – the urban planning of these cities, as in most things, it’s important to know what has been done successfully in order to determine what will likely be successful in the future. And when it comes to looking into such historical matters, interested readers would do well to know about Elizabeth Milroy’s new book The Grid and the River; Philadelphia’s Green Places, 1682–1876 from Penn State University Press.
