This book is about renewing the city with room for people, about historical over­lay and respect for the building tradi­tions of the past, and about new archi­tecture on a human scale.

The book takes its departure in the European tradition of the dense classic city. Focus is on phys­ical and spatial relationships, develop­ment patterns, access principles, and their connection to public streets and squares: the elements that make for a rich urban life. Rooted in European traditions, this book is envisioned as a profession­al “instruction manual” that offers ex­amples of a more humane direction for urban conversion. The examples in the book come from major European cities and are set in a broad conceptual frame­work. A historical outline reviews urban development over time. The chapters are organized into tool­-oriented themes that help urban planners and architects put the concepts into practice and relate them to their respective challenges.