Books for lovers of Brooklyn urban design and history

For those looking for a book that will appeal to the urban planning or history enthusiast on their gift list, we’ve rounded up a collection of books that offer some in-depth insights into topics affecting the borough and the city.

There should be something for everyone as the six volumes, published in 2024 and 2025, explore a range of topics including the lives of Brooklynites, the history of fountains, and the shaping of New York City’s urban environment.

Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities That Formed a Borough
Prithi Kanakamedala

Historian Prithi Kanakamedala delves into the lives of the free black community that shaped Brooklyn’s early history and pushed for social justice. The experiences of four families are used to explore the larger cultural and social history of the time. The book, published in 2024, was a finalist for the 2025 Gotham Book Prize and was on the non-fiction longlist for 2025 Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize.

Join the Conspiracy: How a Brooklyn Eccentric Got Lost on the Right, Infiltrated the Left, and Brought Down the Largest Bombing Network in New York
Jonathan Butler

Brooklyn-born George Demmerle’s eccentric life journey from factory worker to 1960s radical with a secret life as an FBI intelligence gets an in-depth look in this 2024 book from Brownstoner founder Jonathan Butler. Butler contextualizes Demmerle’s transformation with a dive into the politics, protests and alliances of the time. The book is illustrated with ephemera and candid photographs of radical groups of the time.

The Streets of Brooklyn: A Sunday Columnist’s Pedestrian Pleasures, 1886-1887
Henry Stewart, editor

Local author Henry Stewart compiled the columns of the mysterious ERG, who shared his wanderings through the neighborhood in articles published in the newspaper. Brooklyn Daily Eagle in the 1880s. Each chapter covers a wander around a specific street, primarily in the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown Brooklyn. Two of his longer walks extend to Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Kensington and Borough Park. Indeed, ERG’s observations come from the perspective of a white man of privilege in the 19th century, evident in his references to the borough’s diverse population in many of its columns. Editor Stewart includes substantial footnotes that provide important context and additional information about the places and people mentioned by ERG

Fantastic fountains of New York
Stephanie Azzarone with photos by Robert F. Rodriguez

For those who love the artistic fountains that adorn many New York City parks, this book offers a look at dozens of fountains around the city. While most of the book focuses on Manhattan, Brooklyn gets its own section with more than ten profiled fountains. There is a brief history of each imaginative waterwork, and the book is illustrated with both historical and contemporary photographs.

Servant of Beauty
Anthony C Wood

Lovers of New York’s architectural heritage who think they know everything about preserving the city’s landmarks can delve into the story of a quixotic figure. Albert S. Bard, a passionate lover of New York’s architectural and scenic beauty, laid the foundation for the passage of the New York Landmarks Law of 1965. His civic work included entanglements with Robert Moses and forty years of work to achieve his preservation goal. The extensively researched book explores the professional and complicated personal life of this oft-forgotten character.

Wonder City: How to reclaim urban life on a human scale
Lynn Ellsworth

Economist Lynn Ellsworth, founder of Humanscale NYC and a range of other community organizations, looks at the transformation of New York City’s urban fabric and calls on citizens to participate in shaping the future of their environment. Published this year, the book criticizes New York City’s developer-centric housing policies and advocates for the restoration of a “wonder city” with sustainable mid-rise development, truly affordable housing, and historic preservation.

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