Urban Development In The Great

In recent years there has been a growing focus on urban and environmental studies, and the skills and techniques needed to address the wider challenges of how to create sustainable communities. Central to that demand is the increasing urgency of addressing the issue of urban decline, and the response has almost always been to pursue growth policies to attempt to reverse that decline. The track record of growth policies has been mixed at best. Until the first decade of the twenty-first century decline was assumed to be an issue only for former industrial cities – the so-called Rust Belt. But the sudden reversal in growth in the major cities of the American Sunbelt has shown that urban decline can be a much wider issue. Justin Hollander’s research into urban decline in both the Sun and Rust Belts draws lessons planners and policy makers that can be applied universally. Hollander addresses the reasons and statistics behind these "shrinking cities" with a positive outlook, arguing that growth for growth’s sake is not beneficial for communities, suggesting instead that urban development could be achieved through shrinkage. Case studies on Phoenix, Flint, Orlando and Fresno support the argument, and Hollander delves into the numbers, literature and individual lives affected and how they have changed in response to the declining regions. Written for urban scholars and to suit a wide range of courses focused on contemporary urban studies, this text forms a base for all study on shrinking cities for professionals, academics and students in urban design, planning, public administration and sociology.

"Wide-ranging, significant, and readable...It will earn respect in non-academics as well as academic circles. A first-rate job."—Lloyd Rodwin

Remarkably, more than half of the world's population now lives in cities, and the numbers grow daily as people abandon rural areas. This fully updated and revised fifth edition of the classic text offers readers a comprehensive set of tools for understanding the urban landscape, and, by extension, the world's politics, cultures, and economies. Providing a sweeping overview of world urban geography, a group of noted experts explores the eleven major global regions. Each author presents the region's urban history, economy, culture, and society, as well as urban spatial models and problems and prospects. Environmental, human security, globalization, and cyberspace topics are fully developed as well. Vignettes of seventy-eight key cities give the reader a vivid understanding of daily life and the "spirit of place." An introductory chapter presents an overview of key terms and concepts, and a concluding chapter projects the world's urban future. Liberally illustrated with a new selection of photographs, maps, and diagrams, the text also includes a rich array of textboxes to highlight key topics ranging from gender and the city to Islamic fashion and global warming. Bibliographic sources, websites, and an appendix of UN data provide additional resources for helping students understand more about the urban world. Clearly written and timely, Cities of the World will be invaluable for those teaching introductory or advanced classes on global cities, regional geography, and urban studies. Contributions by: Amal K. Ali, Lisa Benton-Short, Alana Boland, Tim Brothers, Stanley D. Brunn, Kam Wing Chan, Ipsita Chatterjee, Megan Dixon, Robyn Dowling, Ashok K. Dutt, Irma Escamilla, Rina Ghose, Brian J. Godfrey, Mark Graham, Angela Gray-Subulwa, Jessica K. Graybill, Maureen Hays-Mitchell, Corey Johnson, Nathaniel M. Lewis, Linda McCarthy, Pauline McGuirk, Garth A. Myers, Arnisson Andre Ortega, Francis Owusu, George M. Pomeroy, Joseph L. Scarpaci, Dona J. Stewart, James A. Tyner, and Donald J. Zeigler.

Argues that much of what surrounds Americans is depressing, ugly, and unhealthy; and traces America's evolution from a land of village commons to a man-made landscape that ignores nature and human needs.

Urban planners in developed countries are increasingly recognizing the need for closer integration of land use and transport. However, this updated second edition of How Great Cities Happen explains how crises like climate change and the lack of affordable housing demonstrate the urgent need for a broader approach in order to create and sustain great cities. Offering innovative solutions to these contemporary challenges, the book examines emerging directions in strategic land use transport planning and analyses how cities function as a home for future generations and other species.

As China rises to become the world's largest economy, it is expected to alleviate half-a-billion people from being rural villagers to urban residents in the coming decades. The great urbanization of the world's most populated country is sure to be one of the most remarkable social-economic events in the 21st century. This book aims to give the reader a clear and comprehensive review of this unfolding event. It not only presents a historical review of the evolution of public policies and institutional reforms regarding urban development, but also an up-to-date survey and in-depth analysis of various social-economic forces that define and contribute to the process of urbanization. The target audiences include students of modern China and professionals interested in China's urban development. The general public as well as scholars may also find the book informative and fascinating.

In this "pathology of planning," Peter Hall briskly recounts the histories of five great planning disasters and two near-disasters and analyzes the decisions of the professional bureaucrats, community activists, and politicians involved in the planning process. He draws on an eclectic body of theory from political science, economics, ethics, and long-range future forecasting to suggest ways to forestall such grand mistakes in the future. For this edition, Hall has added a special introduction in which he reflects further on the sequels to these cautionary tales and on the morals planners and citizens should draw from them. Book jacket.