Authors: Ramon Gras and Jeremy Burke (Actar, 2024)
Cities have long been at the intersection of art and science, blending architecture, engineering, and human behavior into complex urban systems. As populations grow and urbanization accelerates, understanding the science behind city performance becomes increasingly critical. The interplay between spatial design and functionality has shaped civilizations for centuries, but only recent advances in data analytics and computational modeling have enabled a deeper exploration of these dynamics. City Science: Performance Follows Form steps into this space, offering a rigorous examination of how cities can be designed not just for beauty, but for efficiency, equity, and innovation.
Written by Ramon Gras and Jeremy Burke, the book provides an ambitious, interdisciplinary exploration of the intricate relationship between urban design and city performance. As co-founders of Aretian Urban Analytics and Design, the authors bring a data-driven, analytical perspective to the study of urban environments. They present a compelling argument that a city’s form (morphology), structure (topology), and spatial design directly influence its economic vibrancy, social networks, and livability.
The book stands out for its methodological rigor, building on the traditions of Louis Duran and Ildefons Cerdà, whom they acknowledge in the early chapters. The in-depth research of Geoffrey West and Luis Bettencourt on urban scaling also receives special attention.
Analyzing 100 cities across five continents, Gras and Burke apply their quantitative and computational models to evaluate how spatial design elements impact urban performance, seeking to answer a fundamental question: How do a city’s shape and social networks influence urban performance in terms of citizens’ quality of life?
Their approach integrates city design, building type patterns, network science, human interaction dynamics, and urban economics—making the book a valuable resource for architects, city planners, and policymakers seeking to understand the deeper dynamics of urban systems.
One of the book’s most intriguing aspects is its focus on the “15-minute city” concept—an urban design framework advocating for accessible, human-scaled environments where essential services are within a short walk or bike ride. The authors provide empirical evidence supporting this model, demonstrating how cities that embrace dense, mixed-use development tend to foster innovation, social cohesion, and sustainability more effectively than sprawling, car-dependent metropolises. However, they do not stop there.
Another strength of the book lies in its analysis of how the form and “art” of the physical environment—its urban design and architecture—are integral to its functioning. That is:
Aesthetics follow a unique sensibility, a set of priorities, and a specific understanding of the world and local context, shaping behaviors, socialization, and ultimately influencing our perception and experience of the city.
This insight is particularly relevant in an era where many cities find themselves beholden to profit-driven interests and pro-development housing mandates, sidelining discussions on urban design and quality of life.
Based on their comprehensive research, the authors also describe, analyze, model, and rank ten city design types:
- The Fractal City
- The Small World City
- The Radial City
- The Linear City
- The Reticular City
- The Organic City
- The Atomized City
- The Random City
- The Garden City
- The Monumental City
Each of these has real-world counterparts, with their mathematical models spanning two-dimensional systems (street patterns, etc.), three-dimensional structures (building forms, etc.), density levels, and various time-based factors influencing human experience and urban success—particularly within the knowledge economy.
Roughly half of the 400-page book describes their methods, insights, and approach. The remainder focuses on analyzing 100 cities based on their research, with each city presented in a visually rich, data-driven spread.
Despite its strengths, City Science may present challenges for readers unfamiliar with data analytics and computational modeling. While these technical frameworks are essential to the book’s argument, they can sometimes feel dense. That said, the book’s clear structure, well-documented case studies, and insightful visualizations help make the content more accessible to a broader audience than most books focused on the science of cities.
In sum, City Science: Performance Follows Form is an essential read for those interested in the future of urbanism, and I do not hesitate to say that it is one of the most important books on cities of 2024.
Ultimately, Gras and Burke provide a rigorous, evidence-based perspective on how cities function, offering practical insights to inform better decision-making in urban development—laying the groundwork for a new paradigm in city planning that prioritizes livability, efficiency, and inclusivity.
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For more information on City Science: Performance Follows Form, visit the Actar website or Aretian.
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Erick Villagomez is the Editor-in-Chief at Spacing Vancouver and teaches at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning.
