The launch of Visits could hardly have been better timed. The financial crisis and the slowing down of a long developer-driven building boom create the best imaginable backdrop for a grounded and reflexive practice regarding the transformation of the urban landscape as exemplified by Chemetoff. He and his office represent a long-awaited alternative to smashy and spectacular masterplan- and object-focused architecture. This review is also a warning to the (one hopes) many readers of the book: you’ll find neither easy answers nor flashy renderings of fixed goals.