Urbanization’s Past, Present and Future

“The big challenge will be: can cities provide enough opportunity for all of the people who are flowing in? ” says Jonathan Rose.

NEW YORK CITY—Founder of the Jonathan Rose Cos. and among the country’s most prolific developers of green and affordable housing, Jonathan Rose is recognized as one of the leading thinkers on the integration of environmental, social and economic solutions to urban development issues. As of this past week, he is also an author with a newly published book, The Well-Tempered City, issued by Harper Collins.

The book explores cities throughout history, tracing the conditions that gave rise to urban life. It makes the case that the conditions that were necessary for cities to emerge centuries ago are also necessary for cities to thrive today, and details five characteristics that can help them prepare for the megatrends of the 21st century. Rose is in the midst of a tour that will find him discussing The Well-Tempered City in venues ranging from the Philip Glass Center in Carmel, CA this coming Friday to the Urban Land Institute’s fall convention in Dallas on Oct. 27. GlobeSt.com spoke with him during a breather in the tour schedule.