This title was first published in 2003. Seven years after Habitat II culminated with the Istanbul agreement on Sustainable Urban Development, this book brings together many of the world's leading experts from the fields of architecture, urban planning, economics, sociology, politics, environment and geography to assess the successes and failures in fulfilling the objectives decided upon at this historic meeting. Illustrated with a wide range of case studies, this volume is divided into three main sections; firstly examining the challenges, secondly, the approaches, and finally, the practices. The book represents a critical appraisal not only of the issues related to urban development but also of the modalities to face these issues from real examples, these in return can be used as starting points to construct new 'real utopias' or at least, to future 'best practices'.

First published in 2003, this book represents a critical appraisal of the issues related to urban development and the modalities to face these issues from real examples, these in return can be used as starting points to construct new 'real utopias' or at least, to future 'best practices'.

'This landmark volume is a treasure trove of essays from around the world addressing the question of how we can make the city sustainable in human social terms...this book will indeed be required reading for all of us.' Professor John Friedmann, University of California at Los Angeles 'It is very rare for scientifically-based volumes to deliver such a strong message as this...' Professor Xavier Greffe, Université de Paris I-Sorbonne, France '...this volume contains a large and diverse number of chapters on the general theme of the sustainable city. Most senior students and scholars with interest in this topic will definitely find any number of insightful chapters in their areas of interest.' European Journal of Development Research '...all the papers have clearly been edited and revised to a consistent standard. The authorship is varied and, while it contains some of the world's leading urbanists, it also includes practitioners and policy makers...This is beneficial in terms of unexpected and challenging perspectives...The book has three great merits. First, it is wide-ranging and provides some crisp essays on modern thinking about urbanism and urban governance for readers who need an accessible update on current trends...Second, it has the authority of the UN behind it, giving additional gravitas and credibility...Third, some contributions succeed in unsettling the standard dogmas of western urbanists...it serves best as a source to be consulted periodically by the teacher, practitioner or advance student.' Geography 'Those who are interested in the vision behind the facts, those who find an integrated, holistic, global vision important, and those who look for the drivers of the mechanisms, their evolution and devolution, should read this significant contribution to sustainable cities at human(istic) size.' International Journal of Environment and Pollution