In The Unfinished Metropolis, Benjamin Schneider explores why America’s favorite things to build—freeways, single-family homes, malls, and downtown office towers—are keeping us stuck in the past. We deserve cities where housing is abundant, public transit is fast and seamless, and streets are for more than car storage. To accomplish this, we need to free ourselves from these outdated forms so we can experiment with new types of housing, new uses for streets, and new purposes for downtowns. We need to embrace the art of city-building. Talking to urban designers, planners, and community advocates, Schneider takes readers on an insightful and entertaining tour of how we can make our cities work better for ourselves and future generations.
​
The Unfinished Metropolis is available on Amazon and Bookshop.org, as well as select local bookstores.
​
​Praise for The Unfinished Metropolis:
“A clear-eyed and fleet-footed look at how we got into our current urban predicament — stasis, obstruction, decline—and how we might get ourselves out of it: building, building, building (anything but freeways). Schneider reminds us that the hallmark of cities has always been making room, literally, for new ideas, and that creativity and cooperation at the local level remain the recipe for success. Here’s hoping the next generation of leaders will listen.”—Alexandra Lange, Pulitzer Prize winning critic and author of Meet Me by the Fountain
​
"Part urban history, part wide-ranging contemporary tale, The Unfinished Metropolis serves as a masterful exploration of the way Americans live now—in a built metropolis hobbled by mistakes of the past but brightened by innovative hints of how 21st century urbanity can blossom at scales large and small, offering options for people of all incomes and needs."—John King, author of Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities
​
“A book of startling scope and enthralling ambition. This beautifully written testament to the power of city-building is part history, part quiet manifesto, but most of all emerges as a definitive portrait of America in change. It's a book you want to press on anyone who hopes to guide the future of our cities with a fuller, wiser understanding of their past."—Nathan Heller, staff writer, The New Yorker
​
“Schneider wrote the book I wanted to write, and I’m so glad. He uses everyday language to unpack the complex, nerdy world of urban policy topics. A great companion to Abundance and Why Nothing Works, this book delves deep into the history of American cities, how well-intentioned policies go awry, and lessons from successes and failures that can help us adapt to changing needs.”—Jeffrey Tumlin, former Executive Director, SFMTA
​
"Benjamin Schneider's book serves as a modern counterpart to Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities, providing insightful analysis for residents, urbanists, and planners alike. A must-read for anyone interested in the future of urban living."—Jason M. Barr, author of Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World's Tallest Skyscrapers
​
"At long last, America is waking up to the reality that we don't need to endure the frustrations born from the built environment—that we once had the capacity to improve urban life, and we can again. In accessible and lively prose, Ben Schneider shows us how. A welcome contribution on a crucial topic."—Marc J. Dunkelman, author of Why Nothing Works
​
“The Unfinished Metropolis is a bold, urgent call to action for reinventing our cities. Ben Schneider, a dynamic new voice in urbanism, blends incisive analysis and vivid storytelling to expose decades of failed piecemeal solutions, offering instead a powerful vision for vibrant, inclusive, and resilient communities. Essential reading for mayors, urbanists, civic leaders, and everyone concerned with the future of cities.”—Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class