A Paradise of Small Houses

Praise

“His intelligent analysis and deep research lend strength to his conclusion that what is required to solve the housing crisis is not just more large-scale urban developments but the deregulation of what was once common—small-scale urban home-building by local businesses and families drawing on regional design traditions. It’s a must-read for housing advocates.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“[Podemski’s] argument is convincing. A thoughtful history of affordable housing that establishes the basis for reasoned discussion and well-informed policy.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The real treat is Mr. Podemski’s histories of each building type, which trace the interplay of engineering, economics, culture and even morality. . . .This is a valuable book despite such small flaws. At a moment when housing-policy battles can seem deadlocked, ‘A Paradise of Small Houses’ conveys a tonic sense of what is, or has been, possible.”
—Timothy Farrington, Wall Street Journal

“Through this beautifully written and illustrated rich history of everyday houses that form our communities and neighborhoods, Max Podemski shares an insightful account of American cities and their urban development that will greatly appeal to architects, urban designers, planners, historians, housing advocates, and urbanists interested in just cities.”
—Vinit Mukhija, author of Remaking the American Dream: The Informal and Formal Transformation of Single-Family Housing Cities

“If you love visiting, exploring, and thinking about American cities as much as I do, A Paradise of Small Houses is an indispensable travel companion. With this book, Max Podemski has fashioned a fantastic new lens through which to view the history and politics of redlining, zoning, housing affordability, urban design, and so much more. But mainly, the book is just plain fun.”
—Ray Delahanty, creator of CityNerd

“From Boston’s triple-deckers to LA’s dingbats, Max Podemski shows not only the enduring beauty and charm of small houses but the essential role they play in the affordability and livability of American cities.”
—William Fulton, former director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University and author of Guide to California Planning

“If an author writes about the history and future of urban housing, and has references I didn’t know about, I have to read further. If the book not only tells me things I didn’t know about urban housing but also a new frame for thinking about it, well then, that’s worth paying for. Max’s book is worth it.”
—Gordon Price, former Vancouver city council member and founder and former director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University