Living Over the Store Architecture and Local Urban Life

"Howard Davis takes the bland term "mixed use" and injects it with life and character. The global flavor of his thesis confirms an enduring, near universal truth: that the merger of where one lives and what one does can be of the highest human good. This may well be at the root of what it means to build sustainably." - Emily Talen, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University "This is an architectural book that is embedded in the finest cultural analysis and continues Davis' high level of scholarship established in his first book, The Culture of Building. His writing is unique in its ability to identify universal characteristics of the built environment while maintaining a constant focus on culturally specific characteristics through a remarkable collection of case-studies from various cultures worldwide." - Thomas C. Hubka, Department of Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee "Ultimately, Davis's book is an argument for a better city - one that facilitates walkability, face-to-face interactions, and a vibrant street scene. The shop/house, as Howard Davis so persuasively reminds us, could be an important ingredient in that urban mix." - Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review