This major new text provides a state of the art synthesis of the main strands of contemporary urban theory. It starts by reviewing the classic contributions to understanding the rise of the modern capitalist city and its evolution into the complex urban landscape of postmodern times. Its core chapters focus on key aspects of the emerging twenty-first century city relating urban socio-spatial processes to theoretical models.

Table of Contents

PART 1: THEORIZING THE CITY Theorizing the Modern City Theorizing the Postmodern City PART 2: THE CITY AND THEORY Globalization and the City The Immigrant City The Economic City The Competitive City The Gendered City The Erotic City The Political City The Designed City The City and Nature The City of Difference The City of Disorder The Future City: Rethinking Urban Theory

Author Biography

JOHN RENNIE SHORT is Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, USA. An international authority on urban issues he is author of numerous articles in research journals and some 23 books including Alabaster Cities (2005), Global Metropolitan (2004), Global Dimensions (2001), Globalization and the City (1999) and The Urban Order (1996).