Urban Geography

Urban Geography: Social and Spatial Dynamics of the City is an essential introductory textbook for urban geography from an urban political economy perspective. It lays special emphasis on the dynamics of capitalist cities, exploring the complex politics of inequality in an engaging and approachable way. The book addresses a wide range of topics concerned with both production and social reproduction in the city and explores both social issues such as poverty and inequality as well as environmental issues such as climate change.

The initial chapters of the book make a case for why cities are such an important locus of study for urban geography and traces the origins and historical development of cities globally. The textbook provides a detailed overview of the effects of the industrial revolution on the city and examines the historical geography of the US. From here, the subsequent chapters review the urban economy and urban hierarchies, engaging with questions of urban residential space, segregation, social ecology, and gentrification. The relationship between the state and the urban structure is investigated, as well as the issues of environmental problems, air pollution, climate change and water shortage. Finally, urbanization in the developing world is examined considering the legacies of colonialism and formal and informal urban economies.

This textbook is an essential resource for upper-level undergraduate students in geography and environmental science and non-science majors engaging with urban geography within the social sciences. It is also useful for professionals in the field of urban planning, environmental science, and architecture. This textbook contains study questions as additional resources for students and instructors.