Raymond Gastil has (Boat Dock Plans) written an elegant, comprehensive account of the
Raymond Gastil has written an elegant, comprehensive account of the New York waterfront, but the significance of his book reaches far beyond that particular edge, into the very essence of the contemporary public realm. Gastil argues that the waterfront is “the paradigmatic site for the future of public life,” a case he makes convincingly by reference to the history of modern urban development and detailed case studies from New York. Drawing on his extensive experience in the public realm as author, designer, scholar, and public intellectual , Gastil provides the reader with an overview of past and recent attempts to recreate the New York waterfront, as well as examples from across the world. The importance of this book lies in Gastil’s ability to use the example of New York’s waterfront to pose questions and draw broader conclusions about global urban issues and the very nature of the public realm today. I believe his deep insights into the current condition of our communities, the environment and public life in the early twentieth century will reward any reader.
