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12 Best Urban Planning Books

Goal: Find the best Urban Planning books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best urban planning books" and study the top 6+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

12 Best Urban Planning Books

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1

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

by Jane Jacobs

Also recommended by:

Sam Altman, Ramit Sethi, Chris Dixon

2

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

by Robert A. Caro

3

Happy City

Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design

by Charles Montgomery

Also recommended by:

Mr. Money Mustache

4

Walkable City

How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time

by Jeff Speck

Also recommended by:

Ramit Sethi

5

The Image of the City

by Kevin Lynch

6

A Pattern Language

Towns, Buildings, Construction

by Christopher Alexander

7

The City in History

Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects

by Lewis Mumford

Also recommended by:

Keith Rabois, Patrick Collison

8

Cities for People

by Jan Gehl

9

Great Streets

by Allan B. Jacobs

10

The High Cost of Free Parking

by Donald Shoup

11

The Works

Anatomy of a City

by Kate Ascher

12

Walkable City Rules

101 Steps to Making Better Places

by Jeff Speck

Sources

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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12 Best Urban Planning Books (2025)