Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as a "juicy little time bomb of a book," Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experience examines for the first time, New York City's 39-year mixed experience with the production of more than 500 plazas, parks, and atriums located on private property yet by law accessible to and usable by the public.

Until now, comprehensive, systematic knowledge about this vast collection of public spaces has not existed, either for experts or members of the public. To remedy this gap, Harvard University professor Jerold S. Kayden, The New York City...

This thoughtful book assesses just how well zoning is meeting its goals six decades after it was introduced. Zoning and the American Dream finds grounds for both optimism and pessimism. Though susceptible to gross misuse, Haar and Kayden argue that zoning is still the most powerful tool available for shaping the environment in which we live and work. The book starts before the Supreme Court's 1926 landmark decision in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Company with a look at the battles that prompted litigation. It's a story of strong-willed individuals, surprising political coalitions, and...