Jonathan Glancey is an architectural critic, presenter and the author of several architecture and design titles. He was architecture and design editor at The Guardian, from 1997 to 2012 and previously held the same post at The Independent. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, RIBA.
How to Read Towns & Cities is a pocket-sized primer to understanding the forces that have shaped the world's cities. It takes a practical, highly visual approach – showing us how to read the stories embedded in the fabric of the neighbourhoods, towns, and cities in which we live today.
The fortunes of towns and cities rise and fall along with the fate of the civilisations to which they belong. Some are lost entirely, now no more than ruins; others have thrived as urban centres for millennia; and all contain vital clues embedded in their streets and skylines which reveal why their inhabitants grouped together, and tell of their unique social, political and cultural histories.
Packed with plans, maps, and drawings, this book takes the reader on an international journey of discovery to explore the history of cities from our earliest urban origins to the contemporary world city – from Babylon to Beijing, London to Paris, and from the skyscrapers of New York to the streets of their own home town.
A must-read for anyone interested in history, cities, and travel, this fascinating book turns the reader into urban detective to see how our towns and cities grew the way they are.
Table of contents
PART ONE: THE GRAMMAR OF URBAN ARCHITECTURE
Elements of the City
PART TWO: CITY TYPES & STYLES
First Cities
Classical Cities
China & the Far East
The Americas
Muslim Era Cities
Medieval Towns
The Baroque City
Italian Hill Towns
Cities of God
Tidal Cities
Hanseatic Towns
Industrial Towns
Politics & Power
Ideal Towns
Ideal Cities
Organic Growth
Shanty Towns
Garrison Towns
Island Towns & Cities
Cities of Towers
Underground Cities
Megalopolis
New Towns
Green Towns
Abandoned Cities
Future Cities
Glossary
Resources
Index
