Neighbourhood houses : building community in Vancouver /

Technological advances have yielded unprecedented changes in society over the past two centuries, particularly in urban areas, which have been transformed into highly dense population centers. This has resulted in a plethora of challenges for both residents and government officials. Often well-meaning developers regularly create conditions that bear terrible outcomes. For example, the introduction of the interstate highway system in the US during the 1950s improved the speed of commuters to and from a city's center, but it also caused the break-up of otherwise cohesive neighborhoods and led, over time, to cities becoming less visually appealing. These and other challenges of urbanization have been discussed in several North American cities; Canadians lead the way in critically evaluating the situation. Taking Vancouver as a case study, this collection's contributing authors carefully document the city's attempts to create a healthy urban condition. The existence of well-managed local organizations has clearly contributed to the city's successes, aided by these groups' ability to work together with officials, yielding positive results. Even newly arrived residents are welcomed and encouraged to get involved in the events of their chosen neighborhood. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals. --Leon Yacher, emeritus, Southern Connecticut State University