by Jane Jacobs This book was Jane Jacob’s response to the 1950s urban planning policy that destroyed many neighborhoods in the US, but it also provides a lengthy discussion on what objectively constitutes a good, healthy neighborhood. She advocated for things like parks, assimilation of children, and “eyes on the street” as a way of organic policing, and this book set the foundation for many more discussions in urban planning. It’s dense but a fun read. I read it in my 2nd year of architecture school, and it gave me a detailed description of how, even the most minute elements of our built environments can impact the way we live and interact. Get your copy here. by Caroline Criado Perez This book opened my eyes to the deeply rooted gender inequality in our society. Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives. I would recommend this book to anyone interested how our environments are built. Get your copy here.Urban Design
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Invisible Women
