City: Rediscovering the Center

William H. Whyte. Anchor Books, $19.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-385-26209-5

``Informal, spontaneous interactions give the modern city its vitality, so Whyte's ( The Organization Man ) enemies are urban planners who evince disregard and even contempt for street life. Part meditation, part design manual, this marvelously observant tour of cities will please anyone who cares about urban livability,'' lauded PW. (Feb.)

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