City squares

the long version

"In this important collection, eighteen renowned writers, including David Remnick, Zadie Smith, Rebecca Skloot, Rory Stewart, and Adam Gopnik evoke the spirit and history of some of the world{u2019}s most recognized and significant city squares, accompanied by illustrations from equally distinguished photographers. Over half of the world{u2019}s citizens now live in cities, and this number is rapidly growing. At the heart of these municipalities is the square{u2014}the defining urban public space since the dawn of democracy in Ancient Greece. Each square stands for a larger theme in history: cultural, geopolitical, anthropological, or architectural, and each of the eighteen luminary writers has contributed his or her own innate talent, prodigious research, and local knowledge"--Amazon.com.