Cities Rethought

In a world of disruptions and seemingly endless complexity, cities have become central to thinking about the future of humanity. Yet the study of cities is 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. Its normative, analytical, and operational elements offer an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, and citizens alike to approach the complexity of cities anew. 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.

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