For millennia, urban centers were pivots of power and trade that ruled and linked rural majorities. After 1950, explosive urbanization led to unprecedented urba

Some cities seem destined to become major financial capitals, yet never do--Seville, for instance, was the centre of Spain's opulent New World Empire, but faile

In almost every country of the developing world, the most active builders are squatters, creating complex local economies with high rises, shopping strips, bank

Remarkably, more than half of the world's population now lives in cities, and the numbers grow daily as people abandon rural areas. This fully updated and revis

"This book will transport you to the greatest metropolises and the most beautiful cities around the globe--from Africa to Asia and "Down Under," and from Europe