City futures : confronting the crisis of urban development

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Title:

Author:

Pieterse, E. A. (Edgar A.)

ISBN:

9781842775417

9781842775400

9781919895093

Personal Author:

Pieterse, E. A. (Edgar A.)

Publication Information:

London ; New York : Zed Books ; Capetown, South Africa : UCT Press, c2008.

Physical Description:

viii, 206 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.

Contents:

Introduction : deciphering city futures -- Urbanization trends and implications -- Mainstream agenda I : shelter for all -- Mainstream agenda II : good governance -- Reconceptualising the political in cities -- Informal everyday urbanism -- Counterpoint : alternative urban development -- Making a start towards alternative city futures.

Subject Term:

Urbanization.

Cities and towns -- Growth.

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025400892	307.76 P625C 2008	1	Searching... Unknown
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025405636	307.76 P625C 2008	2	Searching... Unknown
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025437381	307.76 P625C 2008	3	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Cities are the future. In the past two decades, a global urban revolution has taken place, mainly in the South. The 'mega-cities' of the developing world are home to over 10 million people each and even smaller cities are experiencing unprecedented population surges. The problems surrounding this influx of people - slums, poverty, unemployment and lack of governance - have been well-documented.

This book is a powerful indictment of the current consensus on how to deal with these challenges. Pieterse argues that the current 'shelter for all' and 'urban good governance' policies treat only the symptoms, not the causes of the problem. Instead, he claims, there is an urgent need to reinvigorate civil society in these cities, to encourage radical democracy, economic resilience, social resistance and environmental sustainability folded into the everyday concerns of marginalised people. Providing a dynamic picture of a cosmopolitan urban citizenship, this book is an essential guide to one of the new century's greatest challenges.