Metropolis now!: urban cultures in global cities

the long version

"The metropolis, in all its inspiring and intimidating vigour, has become the paradigm of human settlement. These portraits of 15 cities, their bustling centres and wild peripheries, their troubles and aspirations, their hot pavements and cold nights, have been written by prominent urbanists from the fields of architecture, geography, sociology and contemporary history. You can taste the flavours of the cities in this rare synthesis of information and insight - of wit and scholarship."--BOOK JACKET.