Discover the secrets behind urban landscapes with 'Why Cities Look the Way They Do' by Richard J. Williams. This insightful book challenges the notion that cities are merely the result of intentional designs by architects and planners. Instead, it posits that the architecture of modern cities is deeply influenced by various social, cultural, financial, and political factors. From the empty skyscrapers that dot the skyline to the bustling, reinvigorated neighborhoods, Williams explores how cities are intricate processes shaped by the interactions of ordinary citizens.

This compelling exploration delves into the unexpected transformations within urban settings, revealing how financial dynamics create vacant high-rises and gentrified areas. It highlights the evolution of zones once relegated to illicit activities into vibrant cultural enclaves, and showcases the innovative repurposing of abandoned factories into thriving creative spaces amidst a postindustrial landscape. Williams also discusses how cultural narratives and urban myths impact our perceptions of the built environment.

'Why Cities Look the Way They Do' is essential reading for urban enthusiasts, students, and professionals looking to grasp the complexity behind urbanization. Uncover the rich tapestry of contemporary cities and rethink the blueprint of the urban experience.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780745691817
Year: 2019
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (UK)
Pages: 192

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780745691817
Year: 2019
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (UK)
Pages: 192


Description:


We tend to think cities look the way they do because of the conscious work of architects, planners and builders. But what if the look of cities had less to do with design, and more to do with social, cultural, financial and political processes, and the way ordinary citizens interact with them? What if the city is a process as much as a design? Richard J. Williams takes the moment construction is finished as a beginning, tracing the myriad processes that produce the look of the contemporary global city.


This book is the story of dramatic but unforeseen urban sights: how financial capital spawns empty towering skyscrapers and hollowed-out ghettoes; how the zoning of once-illicit sexual practices in marginal areas of the city results in the reinvention of culturally vibrant gay villages; how abandoned factories have been repurposed as creative hubs in a precarious postindustrial economy. It is also the story of how popular urban clichés and the fictional portrayal of cities powerfully shape the way we read and see the bricks, concrete and glass that surround us.


Thought-provoking and original, Why Cities Look the Way They Do will appeal to anyone who wants to understand the contemporary city, shedding new light on humanity™s greatest collective invention.