Book Description

This fully updated and revised sixth edition 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, noted experts explore the eleven major global regions. Each regional chapter considers urban history, economy, culture, and environment, as well as urban spatial models and problems and prospects. This edition focuses specifically on urban environmental issues, social and economic injustice, security and conflict, the history of urban settlement, urban models, and daily life. Building on 2015 as the Year of Water, the book introduces urban water concerns as a common undercurrent running through all chapters. The contributors explore how water affects cities and how cities affect water—from glacier loss to growing aridity, sea-level rise, increased flooding, potable water scarcity, and beyond. Vignettes of key cities give the reader a vivid understanding of daily life and the “spirit of place.” Liberally illustrated in full color with a new selection of photographs, maps, and diagrams, the text also includes distinctive textboxes to highlight key topics such as gender and the city, Islamic fashion, and global warming. Clearly written and timely, Cities of the World will be invaluable for introductory or advanced classes on global cities, regional geography, the developing world, and urban studies.