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, Humboldt University Berlin, 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.
This is a comprehensive overview of urban theories as they were developing in the last century, written in easy English, which is important for non-English students.
For my Place and Space unit, this will be down as an essential text - for my retail Design and Design for Restaurateurs and Retailers units (50+ students) it will only be a supplementary reading.
An excellent compendium of academic theory upon place and space issues.
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
an excellent introduction to theoretical issues in urban studies and urbanism
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.
