Urban Theory
A critical introduction to power, cities and urbanism in the 21st century
- Alan Harding - University of Liverpool, UK
- Talja Blokland - Humboldt University, Germany
- Relations between urban theory and modernity in key ideas of the Chicago School, spatial analysis, humanistic urban geography, and ‘radical' approaches like Marxism
- Cities and the transition to informational economies, globalization, urban growth machine and urban regime theory, the city as an “actor”
- Spatial expressions of inequality and key ideas like segregation, ghettoization, suburbanization, gentrification
- Socio-cultural spatial expressions of difference and key concepts like gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and “culturalist” perspectives on identity, lifestyle, subculture
- How cities should be understood as intersections of horizontal and vertical – of coinciding resources, positions, locations, influencing how we make and understand urban experiences.
Just when we need it most, urban theory seems to be failing us. This book explains why we need it.
Harding and Blokland address the vaunted “crisis” in urban theory with a thoughtful assessment of extant theories in terms of performance, commensurability, and critical engagement. In a conversational and lively tone, they view theories of inequality, public space, identity, power, agency, and culture through the lens of “relaxed urban theory.” Excellent overview for scholars and engaging classroom material.
Inspired by Peter Saunders’s non-spatial urban thinking, Harding and Blokland’s book provides a provocative, wide-ranging and comprehensive treatment of concepts geared to understand cities, and is a compulsory addition to any urban student’s intellectual arsenal in a period of renewed interest in urban theory.
Urban theory is said to be in a mess. Proceeding with great analytical clarity, this book introduces a relaxed definition of urban theory that enables the reader to make sense of the non-linear, variegated world of urban theory as it has developed over time and through the application of different disciplines, methods and epistemologies. In reviewing all the major conceptualisations of urban theory, Harding and Blokland provide clear insights into recent developments and the controversies and critiques they have provoked. The book is a pedagogical tour de force for students and scholars alike.
I have adopted several chapters from this book for my Urban Identities module as either essential or supplementary seminar reading including
What is Urban Theory, The Chicago School and Urban Theory, and the Cultural Turn. These chapters reflect very well the module content and provide a useful outline of existing theories and approaches to Urban studies.
I think this book gives a perfect and understandable review about current and older theories and research in urban sociology about urban developments, particularly residential development"s and what they mean for cities. I adopt this book as mandatory literature for my new Urban Studies master-degree course: "The City as Habitat
Its a unique book that taks about urban theories with a very interesting method.
Really excellent introduction to the field. Very broad in scope but also detailed with some good examples and advice on further reading. Well written, accessible, engaging. I think this is a great book!
It is a very interesting book for students and researchers on urban topics. I use this book for my lessons.
an excellent introduction to theoretical issues in urban geography and urbananism
Sage College Publishing
