This text focuses on issues of health in today's cities. By arguing that "place matters" in relation to the population's health, Kevin Fitzpatrick and Mark LaGory make a convincing argument about the general unhealthiness of urban environments and thus, of the urban dweller. The authors offer a place-oriented approach to health and cover such topics as: the ecology of everyday urban life; the sociology of health, needs and risks of the socially disadvantaged; needs and risks of children and the elderly in cities; and strategies for better health services in urban environments.
Kevin Fitzpatrick is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Alabama. Mark LaGory is Professor of Sociology and Urban Affairs at the University of Alabama. His previous books include The Environment for Aging:Interpersonal, Social, and Spatial Contexts (1988) and Remaking the City (1983).