The City Reader

An anthology of essential works on Urban Studies and Planning for students, practitioners, and anyone in the world who is fascinated by cities. Classic writings by Ebenezer Howard, Robert Park, Lewis Mumford, Raymond Unwin, and Jane Jacobs meet the best current writings by Peter Hall, Mike Davis, Manuel Castells and Saskia Sassen. Writings have been carefully chosen for their interest and enduring scholarly value. A lively interdisciplinary introduction to how cities have evolved, what they are like, and where they may be headed. The City Reader combines the best writing from scholars throughout the world writing on urban geography, economics, sociology, politics, the humanities, cultural studies, and urban design and planning. It emphasizes theory and practice, competing ideological perspectives on the city and major current debates. Topics include the evolution of cities, urban form and design, the culture of cities, urban politics and economics, and urban planning. The book pays particular attention to issues of race and gender, how global economic restructuring is affecting cities, the impact of technology on cities, and post-modern critiques of urban form.
Introductions to the writings and comprehensive bibliographic references guide the reader and point the way to additional material. The first major anthology to bring together in one place a generous selection of the best classic and contemporary scholarship on cities by writers from all over the world. The anthology contains fifty lively, readable and thought provoking selections of enduring value. It is uniquely sensitive to the main currents which have influenced and are shaping current thinking about cities. It is carefully crafted.