ABSTRACT
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, more than 3 billion persons—about half of the world's population—were living in urban areas. The new urban sociology has three additional dimensions: the shift to a global perspective, attention to the political economy of pull factors in urban and suburban development, and an appreciation for the role of culture in metropolitan life and in the construction of the built environment. The patterns of everyday life in the contemporary metropolis are the consequence of the complicated and continuing interaction of economic, political, and cultural forces that have not always been studied in urban sociology. According to the old urban sociology, the shift to the Sun Belt would have been explained by technological factors, such as inexpensive airline travel, and preferences for a mild climate. To be sure, these factors are part of the equation.
