ABSTRACT
The dynamic and diverse nature of the urban world presents a significant challenge for those attempting to write a textbook to guide students through its complexities. Urban geography texts always argue that their publication coincides with exciting and challenging times for the city. The first important idea is to place ourselves within the broader trends of urban development and change, or rather to consider the macro geographies of the urban world. A second important idea to consider is the increasing connectedness of the world, where people and places are increasingly linked together in complex economic, political and cultural networks. Finally, it is important to consider how these broader processes are mediated by local contexts, thinking about the internal geographies of cities and the complexity of our urban lives and experiences. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
