ABSTRACT

What is "urban"? How can it be described and contextualised? How is it used in theory and practice?

Urban processes feature in key international policy and practice discourses. They are at the core of research agendas across traditional academic disciplines and emerging interdisciplinary fields. However, the concept of "the urban" remains highly contested, both as material reality and imaginary construct. The urban remains imprecisely defined.

Defining the Urban is an indispensable guide for the urban transdisciplinary thinker and practitioner. Parts I and II focus on how "Academic Disciplines" and "Professional Practices," respectively, understand and engage with the urban. Included, among others, are Architecture, Ecology, Governance and Sociology. Part III, "Emerging Approaches," outlines how elements from theory and practice combine to form transdisciplinary tools and perspectives.

Written by eminent experts in their respective fields, Defining the Urban provides a stepping stone for the development of a common language—a shared ontology—in the disjointed fields of urban research and practice. It is a comprehensive and accessible resource for anyone with an interest in understanding how urban scholars and practitioners can work together on this complex theme.

chapter |8 pages

Defining the urban

Why do we need definitions?

part |85 pages

Academic disciplines

chapter |16 pages

Sociology

The sociological ‘urban’

chapter |13 pages

Geography

Rethinking the ‘urban’ and ‘urbanization’

chapter |13 pages

Anthropology

The death and rebirth of urban anthropology

chapter |10 pages

History

Understanding ‘urban’ from the disciplinary viewpoint of history

chapter |10 pages

Economics

chapter |11 pages

Ecology

chapter |10 pages

Environmentalpsychology

Views of the ‘urban’ fromenvironmental psychology

part |101 pages

Professionalpractices

chapter |12 pages

Public policy

Looking forthe ‘urban’ in public policy

chapter |19 pages

Architecture and urban design

Leaving behind the notion of the city

chapter |13 pages

Civil engineering

Unlocking the potential of future cities throughsustainable and resilient infrastructure

chapter |12 pages

Urbanplanning

chapter |10 pages

Urban governance

Transcending conventional urban governance

chapter |12 pages

Social work

chapter |12 pages

Publichealth

Urban health: History, definitions andapproaches

chapter |9 pages

Law

The concept of‘urban’ in law

part |84 pages

Emerging approaches

chapter |13 pages

Geospatial techniques

chapter |11 pages

Urban politicalecology

Landscapes of power

chapter |13 pages

Urban metabolism

Conceptualizing the city as an organism

chapter |13 pages

Transition theories

chapter |17 pages

Complexityscience

The urban is a complex adaptivesystem

chapter |15 pages

Science fiction

The urban in posthuman science fiction

part |15 pages

Synthesis

chapter |13 pages

Defining the Urban

A quixotic pursuit