Hardback
The Urban Now
Living in an Age of Urban Globalism
9781035314447 Edward Elgar Publishing
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.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
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.
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.
Critical Acclaim
‘The Urban Now is a brilliant synthesis of John Rennie Short’s recent work that covers the gambit of topics like globalization, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the informal economy while weaving in wonderful chapters to connect our daily experiences of the city in all its magic and its dangers. This book, just one of Short’s latest greatest hits, is a journey through, for example, the urban imaginary of the Weimar Bauhaus project, the resilience of informal communities in different cities, the perils of traffic and, in contrast, the joy of walking the city. Despite the various crises and problems discussed in the book, it is remarkably positive and, writing with characteristic clarity and buoyancy, Short demonstrates yet again his wonderful ability to make what can be complicated, accessible and a joy to read.’
– Bernadette Hanlon, Ohio State University, US
‘The Urban Now presents a panoramic view of critical issues facing the urban planet, ranging from sprawl and pandemics to climate change and social inclusion. The book is a masterful examination of how to build a good city and why it matters.’
– Xuefei Ren, Michigan State University, US
‘A leading scholar and public intellectual of contemporary urbanism, John Rennie Short presents a tour de force in his treatise The Urban Now. This riveting and engaging book is essential reading for anyone who cares about the urban moment that we live in, reckoning with the future of cities and humanity. Scholars and students alike will benefit from Short’s astute and prescient observations of urban globalism for generations to come.’
– Thomas J. Vicino, Northeastern University, US
– Bernadette Hanlon, Ohio State University, US
‘The Urban Now presents a panoramic view of critical issues facing the urban planet, ranging from sprawl and pandemics to climate change and social inclusion. The book is a masterful examination of how to build a good city and why it matters.’
– Xuefei Ren, Michigan State University, US
‘A leading scholar and public intellectual of contemporary urbanism, John Rennie Short presents a tour de force in his treatise The Urban Now. This riveting and engaging book is essential reading for anyone who cares about the urban moment that we live in, reckoning with the future of cities and humanity. Scholars and students alike will benefit from Short’s astute and prescient observations of urban globalism for generations to come.’
– Thomas J. Vicino, Northeastern University, US
Contents
Contents: 1 The urban moment PART I URBAN IMAGINARIES 2 Imaginaries of the urban now 3 Imaginaries of City and Nature 4 Suburban imaginaries 5 The legacy of the Weimar Bauhaus for the urban now PART II GLOBALIZATIONS AND THE CITY 6 Globalization and its discontents 7 Global cities 8 From global cities to gateway cities 9 City marketing in an era of globalization 10 Urban mega-events and globalization 11 The second Gilded Age 12 The new middle class in the global South PART III CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE CITY 13 Cities and climate change 14 Cities in a time of rapid climate change 15 A perfect storm: climate change and network failure 16 Fire at the urban‒wilderness interface PART IV COVID-19 AND THE CITY 17 The city in the time of COVID-19 18 Traffic in the postpandemic city 19 The informal economy in the postpandemic city 20 The convivial city PART V CITIES AND TRAFFIC 21 No accident: traffic in the modern city 22 Dangerous cities 23 Unwilling to pay 24 Congestion pricing 25 The silent epidemic on wheels PART VI CITIES OF THE URBAN NOW 26 The liquid city of Megalopolis 27 The creative postcolonial city 28 Reimagined city: Syracuse, New York 29 Informal city: Cali, Colombia 30 Informal cities: Nigeria PART VII LIFE IN THE URBAN NOW 31 The age of distraction in the city 32 Social inclusion in the city 33 Does the city make you fat? 34 Security and safety in the city 35 Walking in the city A very brief guide to further reading References Index
