Cities in the Urban Age - A Dissent (Paperback)

We live in a self-proclaimed Urban Age, where we celebrate the city as the source of economic prosperity, a nurturer of social and cultural diversity, and a place primed for democracy. We proclaim the city as the fertile ground from which progress will arise. Without cities, we tell ourselves, human civilization would falter and decay. In Cities in the Urban Age, Robert A. Beauregard argues that this line of thinking is not only hyperbolic—it is too celebratory by half. For Beauregard, the city is a cauldron for four haunting contradictions. First, cities are equally defined by both their wealth and their poverty. Second, cities are simultaneously environmentally destructive and yet promise sustainability. Third, cities encourage rule by political machines and oligarchies, even as they are essentially democratic and at least nominally open to all. And fourth, city life promotes tolerance among disparate groups, even as the friction among them often erupts into violence. Beauregard offers no simple solutions or proposed remedies for these contradictions; indeed, he doesn’t necessarily hold that they need to be resolved, since they are generative of city life. Without these four tensions, cities wouldn’t be cities. Rather, Beauregard argues that only by recognizing these ambiguities and contradictions can we even begin to understand our moral obligations, as well as the clearest paths toward equality, justice, and peace in urban settings.

General

Imprint:	University of Chicago Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2018
Authors:	Robert A. Beauregard
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 12mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	224
ISBN-13:	978-0-226-53538-8
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > General Books > Humanities > History > General Books > Business & Economics > Economics > General Books > Earth & environment > Geography > General Books > Arts & Architecture > Architecture > Landscape art & architecture > City & town planning - architectural aspects Books > History > General
LSN:	0-226-53538-X
Barcode:	9780226535388

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!