Cities Rethought

A New Urban Disposition

Gautam Bhan, Michael Keith, Susan Parnell , Edgar Pieterse

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English

Polity Press
20 November 2024

Sociology & anthropology

In a world of disruptions and seemingly endless complexity, cities have become – perhaps more than ever – central to thinking about the future of humanity. Yet rarely has the study of cities been more fragmented among different silos of expertise, diverse genres of scholarship, and widening chasms between theory and practice. How can we do better?

Cities Rethought suggests that we need to remake the way we see and know cities in order to rethink how we act and intervene within them. To this end, it offers the contours of a new urban disposition. This disposition, articulated through its normative, analytical, and operational elements, offers an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, and citizens alike to approach the complexity of cities anew, and find ways to rethink both scholarly analyses as well as modes of practice.

Written collectively for a wide audience, the text draws from cities across the global north and south, speaks across diverse genres of ideas, and reflects on the lived experience of the authors as both researchers and practitioners. It is an essential text for anyone committed to knowing their own cities as well as finding ways to meaningfully intervene in them.

By: Gautam Bhan, Michael Keith, Susan Parnell, Edgar Pieterse
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781509565610
ISBN 10: 1509565612
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 20 November 2024
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Prologue: A Note to the Reader 1 An Urban Disposition Dear Reader Three elements Putting the three together How to read this book And so 2 Normative Locations What is the fabric of the city? How do you consume a deleted future? What kind of fight can you pick in the city? What is the urbanity of the state? What evidence matters for cities? Taking stock 3 Analytical Redescriptions Choosing our puzzles Improving an estate Upstream of the river Repairing patchworks The propensity of lychees Spaces across the aisle Amidst the numbers Taking stock 4 Operational Moves Mapping the operational ecosystem Modalities of change in systems Sensing a pulse Evaluating our moves Moving an idea within a system Building a social imagination A life in practice A Parting Note

Gautam Bhan is Associate Dean of the School of Human Development at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements Michael Keith is Professor and Director of PEAK Urban at the University of Oxford Susan Parnell is Chair in Human Geography at the University of Bristol Edgar Pieterse is DST/NRF South African Chair in Urban Policy and Director of the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town