The City Reader - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415119014 ISBN 13: 9780415119016

Publisher: Routledge, 1996

Synopsis

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, culture 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. Introduct 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.

About this title

Review

"LeGates and Stout have crafted an introductory text aimed at “students who will encounter many of the writers and writings for the first time” (page 3). They introduce the field in a prologue entitled “How to Study Cities” that offers guidance on where to find courses on cities within universities, on the differing views students will encounter across disciplines, on the utility of theory versus applied research and practical knowledge, on the varied methods used to study cities, and on the field’s key organizations and journals. The authors guide the reader through the volume by offering introductory essays for each major section and short introductions to each selection. The section introductions raise larger questions students need to bear in mind, and also link current discussions to historical issues. Together these introductions act as a sort of connective tissue for the volume as a whole, pointing out recurrent themes and helping us to see current problems in historical context." - Elizabeth J. Mueller, University of Texas at Austin

About the Author

Richard LeGates is Professor of Urban Studies at San Francisco State University.

Frederic Stout is Lecturer in Urban Studies at Stanford University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415119014
• ISBN 13: 9780415119016
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 544
• Editor: LeGates Richard T., Stout Frederic