Vocabularies for an Urbanising Planet: Theory Building Through Comparison

Cartography as an instrument for the analysis of urbanisation processes

The speed, scale and scope of urbanisation have increased dramatically in recent decades, transforming fundamentally the character of urban territories. To decipher the rapidly transforming land-scapes across the planet, we need a radical change of perspective.

This book presents an expanded vocabulary of urbanisation through a comparison of Tokyo, Hong Kong - Shenzhen - Dongguan, Kolkata, Istanbul, Lagos, Paris, Mexico City, and Los Angeles.

Based on a novel cartography, and on detailed ethnographic and historical explorations, it systematically analyses the diversity of responses to urgent contemporary urban challenges. This results in a series of new concepts that allow us to assess the practical consequences of different urban strategies in everyday life.

• Essential book on urbanism
• New evaluation models for urbanisation processes
• Comprehensive analyses and illustrations of the urban patterns of international metropolises
• Comparison of urbanisation processes in eight metropolises around the world