Inventing the Charles River

by Karl Haglund

An illustrated account of the creation of the Charles River Basin, focusing on the precarious balance between transportation planning and the stewardship of the public realm.

The Charles River Basin, extending nine miles upstream from the harbor, has been called Boston's "Central Park." Yet few realize that this apparently natural landscape is a totally fabricated public space. Two hundred years ago the Charles was a tidal river, edged by...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262083078
• ISBN13: 9780262083072
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: MIT Press
• Length: 515 Pages
• Weight: 4.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 10.7" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Well Researched, Informative, and Presented in a Digestible Manner

Book is as described. Very well researched and documented, with excellent images/drawings/maps which aid tremendously in bringing to life the changes to the Charles River Basin over the past 300 years.

ASLA Award Winner

This book received an Award of Honor from the American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards Program in 2003.

Gorgeous, and so intelligent

This extraordinary book brings together a confluence of compelling themes: The history of a city and its self concept; the evolution of city planning and the politics of public space; visionary thinking and the implications of decisions on the future of urban living; and the visual record of 19th century Boston through historical photographs and maps. These ideas have been woven into a highly readable book, stunningly designed by Yasuyo Iguchi. For anyone who lives in or has lived in Boston, this book is the best history of the city's evolution. For others who may not be as compelled by the specific story of how the Charles River came to be or the significance of the Big Dig, this book is a fascinating and provocative exploration of the implications that face all cities as they envision themselves into the future. How should public space be used? Who decides what is the public good? Haglund cares passionately about these issues and has assembled a thoughtful, readable and provocative response to these important questions. Don't miss it.