When we consider the way cities look, we instinctively focus on design. We might associate London with Christopher Wren and Barcelona with Antoni Gaudí, Robert Moses with New York and Lúcio Costa with Brasília. Yet, even if these individuals built great things in cities, those spectacles are mere fragments of the whole. The character and appearance of urban places is the result of accident and coincidence as much as design.
Richard Williams traces the social and cultural processes that dictate the look of contemporary global cities through six big ideas: money, sex, power, work, war and culture. Much more than the actions of any individual or planning authority, it is these elements of broader social life that shape the city. Pursuing this theme, Williams reveals how, beyond the bricks, mortar and glass that we see, the look of the city is powerfully shaped by film and other forms of visual culture we consume. The representation and reality of the city interconnect, mirroring our dreams, failures and, ultimately, our humanity.
Thought-provoking and original, this book will appeal to those with an interest in urban studies and is a fascinating guide for all inspired by one of humanity’s greatest collective inventions.
