I just finished reading “Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream,” by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Jeff Speck. What an absolutely wonderful book. Not only is their planning and architectural vision exciting, but being able to apply immediately these new concepts to the sprawl that surrounds Charlottesville has been wonderful for my mind. I really feel like a smarter, better person for having read “Suburban Nation.” I feel like I should have taken notes and tested myself; with my horrible memory, I fear that I may, a la Charlie Gordon, slowly slip back into blissful ignorance, greeting sidewalkless cul-de-sacs as pleasant aspects of desirable neighborhoods.