The structure of a human settlement rests on a three-legged stool of politices, economies and transportation, writes Alex Marshall in his book "How Cities Work:Ê Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken."Ê "If we seek to change our world, it's these interconnected levels that must be pulled," he contends.Ê "Of these, transportation is the most visible and active in shaping a place.Ê It's a simple rule:Ê How we get around determines how we live.Ê But it's a rule we still haven't grasped."

Americans grow continually more frustrated with the places that live.Ê The "escape" to the suburbs and even more rural areas has, for many of us, turned into a nightmare of traffic jams, pollution, rampant commercialism, and people totally dependent on their automobiles.

"How Cities Work" makes a powerful case that to change the places we live, we must change the underlying systems that produce them rather than change their design.Ê "If we are to shape our cities more effectively, we must recognize that the fragmentedÊcharacter of our places and our society stems from the fact that at everyÊfork in the road, we have chosen theÊindividual over the collective."Ê

Join us for what promises to be a provocative conversation with Alex Marshall Sunday, June 3, 9 a.m. on the WKNO-FM stations for "Smart City."

You can also hear Smart City on the Web at WKNOfm in the Public Newsroom.

"How Cities Work" is published by the University of Texas Press and is available online from Amazon or from your favorite local bookstore.

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