LEADER 02877cam a22003734a 4500003 hubpceuo 005 20220919125926.0 007 ta 008 040820s2006 b 001 0 eng 020 9780753820629 020 0753820625 040 DLC |cDLC |dDLC |dhubpceuo |bEnglish 041 eng 042 pcc 050 00 HT111 |b.K65 2006 082 00 307.76/09 |222 100 1 Kotkin, Joel, |d1952- 245 14 The city : |ba global history / |cJoel Kotkin. 260 London : |bPhoenix, |cc2005. 300 xxvii, 218 p. ; |c20 cm. 440 0 A Phoenix paperback 504 Includes bibliographical references and index. 505 Pt. I. Origins: the rise of cities in a global context -- Pt. II. Classical cities in Europe -- Pt. III. The oriental epoch --Pt. IV. Western cities reassert their primacy -- Pt. V. The industrial city -- Pt. VI. The modern metropolis. 520 If humankind can be said to have a single greatest creation, it would be those places that represent the most eloquent expression of our species’s ingenuity, beliefs, and ideals: the city. In this authoritative and engagingly written account, the acclaimed urbanist and bestselling author examines the evolution of urban life over the millennia and, in doing so, attempts to answer the age-old question: What makes a city great? Despite their infinite variety, all cities essentially serve three purposes: spiritual, political, and economic. Kotkin follows the progression of the city from the early religious centers of Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China to the imperial centers of the Classical era, through the rise of the Islamic city and the European commercial capitals, ending with today’s post-industrial suburban metropolis. Despite widespread optimistic claims that cities are “back in style,” Kotkin warns that whatever their form, cities can thrive only if they remain sacred, safe, and busy–and this is true for both the increasingly urbanized developing world and the often self-possessed “global cities” of the West and East Asia. Looking at cities in the twenty-first century, Kotkin discusses the effects of developments such as shifting demographics and emerging technologies. He also considers the effects of terrorism–how the religious and cultural struggles of the present pose the greatest challenge to the urban future. 650 0 Cities and towns |xHistory. 650 0 Sociology, Urban. 650 0 Civilization. 880 |6245 942 |2ddc |cBK 952 |00 |10 |2ddc |40 |6307_760000000000000_09_KOT |70 |8GEN |9160788OSA |bOSA |d2022-09-19 |eOSA |o307.76/09 KOT |r2022-09-19 |w2022-09-19 |yBK |zDonation of Márk László-Herbert. |cOSA Repository 920 01 kojPg6YO 992 01 307_760000000000000_09_KOT |bWZS_STZZZZZZZZZZZZZ_ZQ_FB6 966 |cIn the Research Room