Even after it stopped being the flavor of the month, its influence endured. Google Scholar shows over 3,000 citations for the book, and the term that Garreau invented still enjoys widespread use.

“It’s great reporting, lovely writing. Certainly the best, most important, most quick-to-the-scene coverage of a hugely important trend,” said Jeff Speck, a city planner and author of Walkable City. “But it’s weak on the underlying structures, mechanisms, laws that caused sprawl to happen. It’s actually wrong about it.”