Author: Boting (Bo) Zhang
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Machinebrain & Gardenbrain
What the heck is development culture, anyway? And why are we so interested in it? I was quite excited to see Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau list The Gardens of Democracy as one of his two favorite nonfiction titles. This under-sung little book has deeply influenced how Brian and I think about urban development, using a concept called “Gardenbrain”.…
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How to encourage collaborative development, organically
I’m cross-posting this older essay here so that you can find all of my writing in one place. Please visit Crosscut to read the full essay. Neighborhood development is fascinating work. The people who choose to spend their lives making places for people can be motivated by many factors beyond simple financial advancement. Yet planning policy…
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In support of inefficiency
I’m cross-posting this older essay here so that you can find all of my writing in one place. Please visit Crosscut to read the full essay. In discussing the merits of urban growth, we sometimes forget to distinguish between two very different kinds of density: efficient and inefficient density. Contrary to some expectations, only inefficient…