Review books that discuss the nexus of politicians, administrators, interest groups, and citizens in the context of urban planning.

Texts: Tedesco, Mike. (2009). City Boy: Urban Planning, Municipal Politics, and Guerrilla Warfare. Sunstone Press, ISBN-10: 0865347263 or ISBN-13: 978-0865347267 Speck, Jeff. (2013). Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, Reprint Edition. North Point Press; Reprint edition. North Point Press, ISBN-10: 0865477728 or ISBN-13: 978-0865477728. The assignment asks you to review two books that discuss the nexus of politicians, administrators, interest groups, and citizens in the context of urban planning. As it turns out, urban planning can play a significant role in urban politics. With this in mind, this assignment asks you to do the following things: • Succinctly summarize (in such a fashion that convinces me you read and understood) o What are the major points and arguments being made? o A complete synopsis may address the following questions:  Why planners have a bad reputation  The difference between zoning and planning  Problems that face a city  Pluralism?  Current planning  Major eras of urban planning and influential policies/court decision  New Urbanism  Role of zoning codes  A “Great Street”  Importance of relationship relationships  Relationship between urban planning and economic development  Urban renewal authority (URA), tax-increment financing (TIF)?  Business improvement district  Three characteristics administrators or urban planners must possess • Compare and contrast the two books • Critique – what are the strengths and weaknesses of each book? • Compare to a city that you have lived in for a substantial period of time • Discuss your thoughts on urban planning and the role urban planners play, or should play, in urban politics?