Atlas of Cities

This is a large format and very visual atlas that charts the diversity of the world’s cities over time, focusing on different types of cities produced by processes of urbanization. One of its main themes is that in every geographic context and historical period, towns and cities have always been engines of economic innovation and centres of cultural expansion, social transformation and political change.

Most of the book is made up of 13 chapters on distinct types of cities, with one city written up in some detail and other cities also covered. This starts with the foundational city (with a focus on Athens and Rome and on their influence in Europe), the networked city (looking at medieval cities in Europe that became networked through trade), the imperial city (Istanbul and a range of other cities including Beijing, Moscow and Mexico City), the industrial city (Manchester and a range of US and European industrial cities), and the rational city (Paris and others including Vienna, New York and Washington DC). Then it has chapters on the global city (mainly on London and New York), the celebrity city (the main focus being on Los Angeles but including cities such as Milan, Mumbai and Las Vegas), and the mega-city (mainly Mumbai but other mega-cities are covered). The instant city (Brasilia as the core city but also Abuja, Chandigarh and Canberra), the transnational city (core city Miami with coverage too of Vancouver, Dubai and Hong Kong), the creative city (core city Milan), the Green city (core city Freiburg with other cities including Curitiba, Stockholm and Portland), and the intelligent city (London and a range of other cities) are also covered.