Urban Encounter: An Urban Design Guide to Reclaiming Spaces from Cars Paperback – December 20, 2025

Why the street we inhabit, and our lives entwined there, are so barren.Here is why.And even more,Here is the solution.Do you ever feel that something essential is missing in the places we live? Our cities look impressive—tall buildings, wide roads, fast technology—yet daily life feels strangely disconnected. We move a lot, but we meet so little.This book shows you why, and more importantly, how to fix it.Unlike many urban-design titles, it delivers clear, concrete, ready-to-use solutions. Before telling you what to build, it teaches you how to see—what we’ve lost, what truly matters, and how to read the subtle patterns that make a place feel alive.You’ll learn to notice the hidden patterns shaping everyday life: the alignment of paths, the placement of plazas, the spacing of buildings, and the rhythm of public encounters.But the book doesn’t stop there.It proposes the next step beyond the idea of a “Walkable City”: the Walkbound City—a city where walking isn’t just possible but naturally preferred.To make this real, the book introduces the 3S Framework—Secure, Separate, Serve, a comprehensive method distilledfrom 15 years of firsthand experience developing South Korea’s new administrative capital. It is a practical, step-by-step blueprint for designing streets and public spaces that bring people together.Inside, you’ll discover:How to decode the urban landscape: Acquire a new lens to evaluate cities instantly.Urban Encounter as the ultimate design goal: Core principles and real-world case studies.The "Walkbound City" framework: A practical toolkit to move beyond the concept of "walkable."Designing for connection: A step-by-step guide to creating cities where people meetWritten in a warm, accessible tone—no jargon, no abstractions—it is for planners, architects, policymakers, students, and anyone who has wondered:“Why doesn’t my city feel like home—and how can we change that?”If you want a book that doesn’t just diagnose problems but gives you the tools to transform your city, this is the one.You’ll walk away with a sharper eye, a clearer roadmap, and a renewed belief that better cities—and better everyday lives—are entirely within reach.* * * * * *“Why are our cities becoming so barren? … As encounters diminish and local communities fall apart, our lives grow increasingly desolate. The warmth of human connection is becoming more precious than ever, and the need to build warmer, more humane cities has never felt more urgent. That is why this book feels so valuable.” — Prof. H. Hwang“This book comes as a welcome rain to the parched reality of our society. … With clarity and consistency, it uses ‘encounters among people’ as its central theme. As readers move through its accessible pages, they naturally gain insight and discernment into what makes a good urban form.” — Prof. I. Park“Anyone who has grappled with planning or designing a ‘walkable city’ will likely agree with this book’s diagnosis of existing problems and its model for walkable urban life. … The author presents an even more concrete version of Buchanan’s idea—one that protects people more effectively from cars.” — Prof. S. Han Read more