Drawing upon over a quarter of a century’s worth of research, The Urban Now illuminates our present urban condition. John Rennie Short captures the main features of this moment of urban significance, investigating the city as a crucial arena strategically located between global flows and national surfaces. Divided into seven distinct parts, concise and accessible chapters delve into the city and its relation to globalization, urban imaginaries, climate change, Covid-19 and public health, traffic, technology, and everyday life. Conducting poignant analyses of a diverse group of changing cities, including Cali, Megalopolis, Mparntwe and Syracuse, the book explores questions surrounding postcolonial culture, deindustrialization, social inclusion, informal economies, and new class relationships. Short ultimately highlights the progressive possibilities and redemptive power of the urban experience to change lives and attitudes. Providing a theoretically sophisticated and empirically informed assessment of public policies, this unique book will prove an essential tool for students and scholars of urban and regional studies, human geography, sociology and social policy. Practical in scope, its appeal will extend to policymakers and practitioners with an interest in cities, urban development, globalization and urbanization.

Tim Burton's Academy Award-nominated black and white stop-motion homage to Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is a remake of his 1984 short of the same name.

The story follows a young boy called Victor (voiced by Charlie Tahan), who harnesses the powers of science to bring his beloved pet dog, Sparky, back to life - with unexpected and alarming consequences.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Nowadays, the majority of people live in cities, and these cities constitute the heart of the global political economy. In a time of planetary urbanization, this contemporary and visionary book provides a critical assessment of the key areas of urban scholarship across the globe. Following a comprehensive introduction, 11 stimulating chapters from expert contributors examine a range of important topics, including: sustainability, gentrification, feminist interventions, globalization, security and food issues. Ensuring a global coverage, a further eight regionally informed expert reviews examine recent urban research in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, South and East Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Eastern Europe. These chapters show how urban growth and resurgence unfolds in different ways across the different regions of the world. This Research Agenda provides polemical assessments of current work and signposts for future research. This book will be an indispensable and accessible guide to students and scholars working in urban studies, urban geography, urban sociology, urban planning and comparative urbanization. City leaders will also find the case studies enlightening and informative. Contributors include: J. Beaverstock, L. Benton-Short, G. Brown, J. Farrer, R. Freestone, O. Golubchikov, A. Gorman-Murray, B. Hanlon, P. Hubbard, T. Hutton, A. Kanna, M. Keeley, Y.-H. Kim, L. Kong, L. Martinez, C.J. Nash, L. Peake, E. Pieterse, B. Randolph, X. Ren, J.R. Short, T.J. Vicino, A. Wheeler, D.M. Wood, O. Woods, E. Wyly

Insurrection offers a profound and incisive analysis of the underlying factors that culminated in the assault on Washington’s Capitol Building on that fateful day: January 6th, 2021. Going far beyond mere journalistic accounts, the book delves into structural trends within the United States, providing a broader and deeper context for comprehending the magnitude of the uprising. It explores the crisis of democracy, escalating violence, widening inequality and the prominence of conspiratorial discourse within American politics. By examining both long-term issues as well as the tumultuous events of 2020, including the pandemic, policing challenges and the fiercely contested presidential election, this book uncovers the catalysts behind conspiracy theories and the politics of outrage. This compelling narrative is essential reading for all those interested in the contemporary face of the USA.

First published in 1986, Housebuilding, Planning and Community Action was written as an examination of the conflicts and tensions resulting from private sector housing growth in Central Berkshire, part of Britain’s ‘Silicon Valley’ along the M4 motorway. The book provides a detailed consideration of the various ‘actors’ and their interactions and explores the fight from Community groups and parish councils to halt development, in opposition to the government’s reluctance to discourage economic growth. It focuses on four groups closely involved in the production, allocation, and consumption of new housing: speculative housebuilders, local planning authorities, parish councils, and community/residents’ groups. The motivations and actions of each group are examined, and the tensions between them are highlighted, set within the context of central government attitudes towards planning and private housebuilding. Housebuilding, Planning and Community Action has lasting relevance for those interested in human geography, and the history of housebuilding and planning.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Nowadays, the majority of people live in cities, and these cities constitute the heart of the global political economy. In a time of planetary urbanization, this contemporary and visionary book provides a critical assessment of the key areas of urban scholarship across the globe. Following a comprehensive introduction, 11 stimulating chapters from expert contributors examine a range of important topics, including: sustainability, gentrification, feminist interventions, globalization, security and food issues. Ensuring a global coverage, a further eight regionally informed expert reviews examine recent urban research in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, South and East Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Eastern Europe. These chapters show how urban growth and resurgence unfolds in different ways across the different regions of the world. This Research Agenda provides polemical assessments of current work and signposts for future research. This book will be an indispensable and accessible guide to students and scholars working in urban studies, urban geography, urban sociology, urban planning and comparative urbanization. City leaders will also find the case studies enlightening and informative. Contributors include: J. Beaverstock, L. Benton-Short, G. Brown, J. Farrer, R. Freestone, O. Golubchikov, A. Gorman-Murray, B. Hanlon, P. Hubbard, T. Hutton, A. Kanna, M. Keeley, Y.-H. Kim, L. Kong, L. Martinez, C.J. Nash, L. Peake, E. Pieterse, B. Randolph, X. Ren, J.R. Short, T.J. Vicino, A. Wheeler, D.M. Wood, O. Woods, E. Wyly

Hosting the Olympic Games reveals the true costs involved for the cities that hold these large-scale sporting events. It uncovers the financing of the Games, reviewing existing studies to evaluate the costs and benefits, and draws on case study experiences of the Summer and Winter Games from the past forty years to assess the short- and long-term urban legacies for host cities. Written in an easily accessible style and format, it provides an in-depth critical analysis into the franchise model of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and offers an alternative vision for future Games. This book is an important contribution to understanding the consequences for the host cities of Olympic Games.

This book, first published in 1984, is an attempt to make students aware of the variety in the urban condition and to introduce them to some of the relationships operating between space and society. From the broad aim of seeking to show the relationship between urbanism and society flows a number of sub-themes, including the importance of cross-cultural comparisons and contrasts, re-distributional consequences and the role of government. This book will be of interest to first- and second-year students of urban studies and human geography.

Hosting the Olympic Games reveals the true costs involved for the cities that hold these large-scale sporting events. It uncovers the financing of the Games, reviewing existing studies to evaluate the costs and benefits, and draws on case study experiences of the Summer and Winter Games from the past forty years to assess the short- and long-term urban legacies for host cities. Written in an easily accessible style and format, it provides an in-depth critical analysis into the franchise model of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and offers an alternative vision for future Games. This book is an important contribution to understanding the consequences for the host cities of Olympic Games.

Old powers are falling. New states are emerging. The gap between East and West is narrowing. What are the problems facing the emerging new world order? Can action at the community level affect global issues? An Introduction to Political Geography, in its first edition helped shape the study of the discipline. Entirely revised and updated, this new edition explores political and geographic change within the same accessible framework. John Short emphasises the need for a fluid approach to the study of the international order, the nation state, as well as social movements. Though the world is becoming smaller, popular access to power remains an elusive goal. An integrated world economy may well perpetuate past inequalities just as political systems continue to work by exclusion. The global village and the ecological approach this implies, must be paid particular attention when examining the political geography of participation. An Introduction to Political Geography reviews the history of the rise and fall of centres of power, draws on a wide range of detailed international case studies to illustrate current trends, and discusses future developments.

First published in 1980, Housing and Residential Structure was written to take stock of the many changes that had recently taken place in explanatory approaches to housing markets and residential structure. The book is divided into three parts. Part One focuses on the demand-orientated approaches of human ecology and neo-classical economics. Part Two discusses the institutional approaches with reference to an analysis of private and public sector housing in Britain, drawing on illustrative material from North America and France to aid the comparative analysis of institutional structures. Part Three is devoted to an evaluation of the Marxist approaches to housing and residential structure from Marx and Engels to Castells and Harvey.

First published in 1986, Housebuilding, Planning and Community Action was written as an examination of the conflicts and tensions resulting from private sector housing growth in Central Berkshire, part of Britain's 'Silicon Valley' along the M4 motorway. The book provides a detailed consideration of the various 'actors' and their interactions and explores the fight from Community groups and parish councils to halt development, in opposition to the government's reluctance to discourage economic growth. It focuses on four groups closely involved in the production, allocation, and consumption of new housing: speculative housebuilders, local planning authorities, parish councils, and community/residents' groups. The motivations and actions of each group are examined, and the tensions between them are highlighted, set within the context of central government attitudes towards planning and private housebuilding. Housebuilding, Planning and Community Action has lasting relevance for those interested in human geography, and the history of housebuilding and planning.

First published in 1982 at a time when housing policy featured prominently in the press and in political debate, Housing in Britain was written to provide an authoritative review of housing in Britain. The book is a comprehensive introduction to the major policy shifts from 1945 to the year of publication. It explores the many aspects of 'housing' as a matter of state policy; as a commodity with a certain market for its sale and exchange; as an essential item, with rules regulating access and eligibility; and as a vital element in the reproduction of social life. Particular attention is paid to the institutions involved within the British housing market, and the redistributional consequences of housing-market processes and state housing policy. Housing in Britain will appeal to those with an interest in the history of British housing policy and debates, and the history of social policy in Britain.

Cities and Nature connects environmental processes with social and political actions. The book reconnects science and social science to demonstrate how the city is part of the environment and how it is subject to environmental constraints and opportunities. This second edition has been extensively revised and updated with in-depth examination of theory and critical themes. Greater discussion is given to urbanization trends and megacities; the post-industrial city and global economic changes; developing cities and slums; urban political ecology; the role of the city in climate change; and sustainability. The book explores the historical relationship between cities and nature, contemporary challenges to this relationship, and attempts taken to create more sustainable cities. The historical context situates urban development and its impact on the environment, and in turn the environmental impact on people in cities. This provides a foundation from which to understand contemporary issues, such as urban political ecology, hazards and disasters, water quality and supply, air pollution and climate change. The book then considers sustainability and how it has been informed by different theoretical approaches. Issues of environmental justice and the role of gender and race are explored. The final chapter examines the ways in which cities are practicing sustainability, from light "greening" efforts such as planting trees, to more comprehensive sustainability plans that integrate the multiple dimensions of sustainability. The text contains case studies from around the globe, with many drawn from cities in the developing world, as well as reviews of recent research, updated and expanded further reading to highlight relevant films, websites and journal articles. This book is an asset to students and researchers in geography, environmental studies, urban studies and planning and sustainability.

We live in a world of big cities. Urbanization, globalization and modernization have received considerable attention but rarely are the connections and relations between them the subjects of similar attention. Cities are an integral part of the network of globalization and important sites of modernization. Globalization, Modernity and The City weaves together broad social themes with detailed urban analysis to explore the connections between the rise of big cities, the creation of a global network and the making of the modern world. It explains the growth of big cities, the urban bias of global flows and the creation of metropolitan modernities. The text develops broad theories of the subtle and complex interactions between urbanization, globalization and modernization in a sweep of the urban experience across the globe. Thematic chapters explore the making of the modern city in profiles of the growth of urban spectaculars, the role of flanerie, the traffic issues of the modernist city, recurring issues of urban utopias and the rise of the primate city. Detailed case studies are drawn from cities in Australia, China and the USA. Urban snapshots of cities such as Atlanta, Barcelona, Istanbul, Mumbai and Seoul provide a truly global coverage. The book links together broad social themes with deep urban analysis. This well-written, accessible and illustrated text will appeal to the broad audience of all those interested in the urban present and the metropolitan future.

This book is a systematic examination of the historical and current roles that cities and suburbs play in US metropolitan areas. It explores the history of cities and suburbs, their changing dynamics with each other, their growing diversity, the environmental consequences of their development and finally the extent and nature of their decline and renewal.

Cities and Suburbs: New Metropolitan Realities in the US offers a comprehensive examination of demographic and socioeconomic processes of US suburbanization by providing a succinct guide to understanding the dynamic relationship between metropolitan structure and processes of social change. A variety of case studies are used in the chapters to explore suburban successes and failures and the discourse concludes with reflections on metropolitan policy and planning for the twenty-first century. The topics of discussion include:

• Key ideas and concepts on the demographic and sociospatial aspects of metropolitan change
• The changing nature of city and suburban population migration and their relationships with changes at the local, metropolitan, national, and global levels
• Current metropolitan public policy issues of large cities and suburbs
• Links of suburbanization to metropolitan transformation and the growing dichotomy between suburban decline and suburban sprawl in metropolitan areas.

Cities and Suburbs relies on theorized case studies, demographic analysis, maps, and photos from North America. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book addresses various fundamental questions about the socioeconomic role that suburbs and cities play in shaping metropolitan areas, their environmental impact, the political consequences, and the resulting policy debates. This is essential reading for scholars and students of Geography, Economics, Politics, Sociology, Urban Studies and Urban Planning.

This book is a systematic examination of the historical and current roles that cities and suburbs play in US metropolitan areas. It explores the history of cities and suburbs, their changing dynamics with each other, their growing diversity, the environmental consequences of their development and finally the extent and nature of their decline and renewal.

Cities and Suburbs: New Metropolitan Realities in the US offers a comprehensive examination of demographic and socioeconomic processes of US suburbanization by providing a succinct guide to understanding the dynamic relationship between metropolitan structure and processes of social change. A variety of case studies are used in the chapters to explore suburban successes and failures and the discourse concludes with reflections on metropolitan policy and planning for the twenty-first century. The topics of discussion include:

• Key ideas and concepts on the demographic and sociospatial aspects of metropolitan change
• The changing nature of city and suburban population migration and their relationships with changes at the local, metropolitan, national, and global levels
• Current metropolitan public policy issues of large cities and suburbs
• Links of suburbanization to metropolitan transformation and the growing dichotomy between suburban decline and suburban sprawl in metropolitan areas.

Cities and Suburbs relies on theorized case studies, demographic analysis, maps, and photos from North America. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book addresses various fundamental questions about the socioeconomic role that suburbs and cities play in shaping metropolitan areas, their environmental impact, the political consequences, and the resulting policy debates. This is essential reading for scholars and students of Geography, Economics, Politics, Sociology, Urban Studies and Urban Planning.

Cities and Economies explores the complex and subtle connections between cities and economies. The rise of the merchant city, the development of the industrial city and the creation of the service-dominated urban economy are explored, along with economic globalization and its effects on cities in both developed and developing economies. This book provides a thorough examination of the role of the city in shaping economic processes and explains the different effects that economies have on cities. It provides an invaluable and unrivaled guide to the relationship between urban structure and economic processes as they compare and contrast across the world.

The authors examine the complex relationships between the city and the economy in historical and global contexts, as well as evaluating the role of world cities, the economic impacts of megacities and the role of the state in shaping urban economic policies. They focus on the ways in which cities have led, and at the same time adapted to, economic shifts. Large cities are viewed as the centres of regional and national economies, while a small number are defined by their centrality in the global economy.

The book examines:

- Key ideas and concepts on the economic aspects of urban change.

- The changing nature of urban economies and their relationships with changes at the national and global levels.

- Compares current economic issues and policies of large cities around the world.

- Explores the links between globalization and economic changes in cities and the growing competitions between them.

Cities and Economies uses case studies, photographs and maps expanding across the US, Western Europe and Asia. Writtenin a clear and accessible style, the book answers some fundamental questions about the economic role of cities. Cities and Economies is an essential text for students of Geography, Economics, Sociology, Urban Studies andUrban Planning.

Cities and Economies explores the complex and subtle connections between cities and economies. The rise of the merchant city, the development of the industrial city and the creation of the service-dominated urban economy are all explored, along with economic globalization and its effects on cities in both developed and developing economies. This book provides a thorough examination of the role of the city in shaping economic processes and explains the different effects that economies have on cities. It provides an invaluable and unrivaled guide to the relationship between urban structure and economic processes as they compare and contrast across the world.

The authors examine the complex relationships between the city and the economy in historical and global contexts, as well as evaluating the role of world cities, the economic impacts of megacities and the role of the state in shaping urban economic policies. They focus on the ways in which cities have led, and at the same time adapted to, economic shifts. Large cities are viewed as the centres of regional and national economies, while a small number are defined by their centrality in the global economy.

The book:

• examines key ideas and concepts on the economic aspects of urban change
• explores the changing nature of urban economies and their relationships with changes at the national and global levels
• compares current economic issues and policies of large cities around the world
• explores the links between globalization and economic changes in cities and the growing competitions between them.

Cities and Economies uses case studies, photographs and maps expanding across the US, Western Europe and Asia. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book answers some fundamental questions about the economic role of cities. It is an essential text for students of geography, economics, sociology, urban studies and urban planning.

Cities around the world are experiencing profound economic and social change as they seek to compete in a globalizing world. "Global Metropolitan" seeks to explain such changes. It explores how the discourse of globalizing has become a major narrative in the restructuring of cities around the world. It illustrates how a similar range of globalizing practices including the hosting of mega-events, the siting of urban spectaculars, the rewriting of the city, and its representation to a world of global flows, are important processes structuring urban socio-spatial transformation in the contemporary world.
Moving beyond the debate surrounding the measurement of world cities, John Rennie Short suggests a new paradigm for urban studies; globalizing cities where the emphasis is on how cities are embarked on a global project to maintain economic competitiveness and cultural relevance. The book sets a new agenda for both globalization and urban studies.

Exploring the connections between globalization and urbanization, this notable book places particular emphasis on understanding the economic function of global cities, the political process of globalizing cities, and the cultural significance of cosmopolitan cities.

The book explores the meaning of the globalizing project in cities:

• the maintaining, securing and increasing of urban economic competitiveness in a global world
• the reimagining of the city
• the rewriting of the city for both internal and external audiences
• the construction of new spaces and the hosting of new events.

Specific chapters look at the significance of signature architects, the hosting of the Summer Olympics and the role of the super-rich. The main thesis of the book is that this discourse of globalizing is a major force in the restructuring of cities around the world.

This book, first published in 1984, is an attempt to make students aware of the variety in the urban condition and to introduce them to some of the relationships operating between space and society. From the broad aim of seeking to show the relationship between urbanism and society flows a number of sub-themes, including the importance of cross-cultural comparisons and contrasts, re-distributional consequences and the role of government. This book will be of interest to first- and second-year students of urban studies and human geography.

An accessible and groundbreaking text that takes a fresh view of contemporary geographical issues by looking at the geographies we have lost.Geography means writing about the world. Alternative ways of writing about the world are introduced and critically evaluated. The book discusses medieval cosmologies, Renaissance magic, feng shui, and the knowledge systems of indigenous people. Alternative Geographies provides an alternative way of looking, describing and understanding the world

Cities around the world have seen: an increase in population and capital investments in land and building; a shift in central city populations as the poor are forced out; and a radical restructuring of urban space. The Unequal City tells the story of urban change and acts as a comprehensive guide to the Urban Now. A number of trends are examined, including: the role of liquid capital; the resurgence of population; the construction of megaprojects and hosting of global megaevents; the role of the new rich; and the emergence of a new middle class. This book explores the reasons behind the displacement of the poor to the suburbs and beyond. Drawing upon case studies from around the world, readers are exposed to an examination of the urban projects that involve the reuse of older industrial spaces, the greening of the cities, and the securitization of the public spaces. This book draws on political economy, cultural and political analysis, and urban geography approaches in order to consider the multifaceted nature of the process and its global unfolding. It will be essential reading to those interested in urban studies, economic geography, urban economics, urban sociology, urban planning and globalization.

Old powers are falling. New states are emerging. The gap between East and West is narrowing. Yet the developments in the Middle East and the Eastern Bloc, the increasing disparity between the rich and poor nations, and the intensification of economic competition between former political allies, pose new threats and tensions for a New World. An Introduction to Political Geography is entirely revised and updated, exploring political and geographic change within the same accessible framework. John Short emphasizes the need for a fluid approach to the study of the international order, the nation state, as well as social movements. He highlights the trend towards globalization, challenging the traditional integration of the world-systems approach. A new section on the political geography of participation looks at the concept of the global village, with its concerns for global justice and environmentalism. The author examines new centres of power, providing a background for discussion of current trends and future developments. He then focuses on the nation state, particularly the individual household and draws on detailed case studies to discuss social movements.