Overview

The 21st century will be the age of the city. Already over 50% of the world population live in urban centres and over the coming decades this percentage will increase. Blending anecdote, fact and first hand encounters - from exploring the slums of Mumbai, to visiting roof-top farms in Brooklyn and attending secret dinner parties in Paris, to riding the bus in Latin America - Leo Hollis reveals that we have misunderstood how cities work for too long. Upending long-held assumptions and challenging accepted wisdom, he explores: why cities can never be rational, organised places; how we can walk in a crowd without bumping into people, and if we can design places that make people want to kiss; whether we have the right solution to the problem of the slums; how ants, slime mould and traffic jams can make us rethink congestion. And above all, the unexpected reasons why living in the city can make us fitter, richer, smarter, greener, more creative - and, perhaps, even happier. Cities Are Good for You introduces dreamers, planners, revolutionaries, writers, scientists, architects, slum-dwellers and emperors. It is shaped by the idea that cities are the greatest social experiment in human history, built for people, and by the people.

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9781408843482

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Reviews

From Mumbai to Shanghai, Hollis is the perfect guide to the art, science and even maths of what makes cities so great Marcus du Sautoy Extremely timely ... There are, though, some fascinating and thoroughly researched passages. Hollis's eludication on the garden city movement is a beautifully crafted study of the purpose-built, self-sufficient towns that sprung up in the 20th century as a riposte to unchecked urban sprawl Financial Times In Cities Are Good for You Leo Hollis aims to set the record straight on the places where more than half the world's population now lives. He does so with gusto ... An intriguing book The Times Leo Hollis has written an eloquent, nuanced, and learned account of the ways in which cities can serve as conduits for happiness. His wide-ranging and acute observations of the interaction of the social and the formal map an optimistic and incisive vision of an emergent - and indispensable - urbanism predicated on sustainability, equity, imagination and trust Michael Sorkin There's a persuasive energy to this optimistic celebration Metro Combing a wealth of info on cities the world over with anecdote and experience, Hollis's fascinating book touts the theory that our path to salvation is the city itself - ultimately justifying our unwavering desire to skip the mud for the metropolitan Fabric Magazine A useful counterpoint to those who would argue that the big bad city is to be escaped at all costs Observer Leo Hollis's book makes a persuasive case for thinking more about how we plan cities The Times Offers a surprisingly positive perspective on urban living Traveller Beautifully written and absorbing book ... This is an inspiring, richly illustrated, and thoroughly enjoyable read Good Book Guide

Author Information

Leo Hollis was born in London in 1972. He went to school at Stonyhurst College and read History at UEA. He works in publishing and is the author of two books on the history of London: The Phoenix: The Men Who Made Modern London and The Stones of London: A History Through Twelve Buildings. He writes regularly for the New Statesman, the TLS and the Daily Telegraph. His blog can be found at www.citiesaregoodforyou.com and tweets at @leohollis.

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