Knox .:. Urban Social Geograpy

Knox, Paul,
Urban Social Geograpy - an introduction. 2. Auflage. Essex: Longman, 1987. ix, 403 Seiten mit Abbildungen, Literaturverzeichnis und Register. Broschur. Grossoktav. 245 x 188 mm.

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* Stempel auf dem Vortitelblatt.
Bestell-Nr.158352 | ISBN: 0-582-30160-2 | 978-0-582-30160-3

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Knox | Soziologie | Geographie | Urbanistik

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Urban Social Geography provides students with a critical yet balanced introduction to the social patterns and processes of the Western city. It integrates the key themes of contemporary urban geography, from both radical and traditional perspectives, to give an emphatically social interpretation of the spatial structure and functioning of the urban environment.

The book begins by tracing the evolution of the modern city from its pre-industrial origins through the crucial transformation of the Victorian era to the present day. Major themes covered include the role of evolving transport technology in shaping urban form, the changing nature of urban government, and the important relationships between social ideology and the built environment.

This sets the scene for a comprehensive review of the social dimensions of life in the modern city which draws critically on a wide range of ideas and approaches, including human ecology, social networks, communities and neighbourhoods, and the study of deviant behaviour. Attention is focused on the spatial differentiation of the city, considering not only the physical form of the built environment, but also the nature and structure of the urban socio-economic environment and the perceived environment of city-dwellers.

The working of the urban housing market is then considered in detail, not only from the neo-classical economic perspective of the balance between housing demand, residential mobility and the structure of urban residential areas, but also in terms of the social opportunities and constraints that influence housing supply. The particular importance of 'social gatekeepers' is emphasized in this section. The next two chapters deal with spatial organization and locational conflict within the city, with particular reference to ethnic and social minorities, and the relationships between the economic and social structure of the city, the political process, and urban planning.

The entire book has been revised, updated and expanded for this second edition, and a concluding chapter has been added. This deals with trends and processes of change in the late 20th-century city, drawing together in a dynamic context many of the ideas discussed in earlier chapters. The book continues to be essential reading for students in urban geography and urban planning courses at universities and colleges. It will also appeal to students of urban sociology, urban politics, environmental management and public administration. It is an important source of ideas, discussion and interpretation for students and teachers of human and social geography in general.

Paul Knox is Professor of Urban Affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

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