How to Read Towns and Cities: A Crash Course in Urban Architecture by Jonathan Glancey


How to Read Towns and Cities: A Crash Course in Urban Architecture
Title : How to Read Towns and Cities: A Crash Course in Urban Architecture
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1474219268
ISBN-10 : 9781474219266
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 256
Publication : Published March 24, 2016

How to Read Towns & Cities is a pocket-sized primer to understanding the forces that have shaped the world's cities. It takes a practical, highly visual approach - showing us how to read the stories embedded in the fabric of the neighbourhoods, towns, and cities in which we live today. The fortunes of towns and cities rise and fall along with the fate of the civilisations to which they belong. Some are lost entirely, now no more than ruins; others have thrived as urban centres for millennia; and all contain vital clues embedded in their streets and skylines which reveal why their inhabitants grouped together, and tell of their unique social, political and cultural histories. Packed with plans, maps, and drawings, this book takes the reader on an international journey of discovery to explore the history of cities from our earliest urban origins to the contemporary world city - from Babylon to Beijing, London to Paris, and from the skyscrapers of New York to the streets of their own home town. A must-read for anyone interested in history, cities, and travel, this fascinating book turns the reader into urban detective to see how our towns and cities grew the way they are.

How to Read Towns and Cities: A Crash Course in Urban Architecture Reviews

  • corinnaclassics

    A very pleasant, although not particularly in-depth, look at the hows & whys of urban architecture. Glancey starts explaining how the reader should learn to look at cities at a city's structure, and then provides plenty of examples from both past & contemporary marvels of architecture from all over the world.
    Glancey's an impassionate writer, and his clear love for the subject is delightful; together with the short and interesting description of each city and the more historically-heavy introduction, it's the biggest component of what makes the book such a charming read. Really, the only flaw the book has is its brevity, which in turn only makes me hope for the longer works by Glancey I've already started to eye longingly.
    It's a good stepping stone for those starting to take an interest in urban-planning and what goes, and went, into designing the places we call home.
    Oh: appropriately enough, the size makes it ideal for traveling.

  • Jen Warner

    Simple and visual book. I knew zero things about architecture before, and this was a pleasant way to learn just a bit.

  • Kamila Notario-Galaj

    No references or citations. Based on the personal opinions of the author. Disorganized and messy.

  • Anna

    A very basic read with key highlights on how to approach looking at towns and cities. In the beginning it was all right but then I lost interest very quickly.

  • Barbara

    Nice concise summary of urban centres around the world across eras.

  • Katherine

    Loved it! Highly informative, made me want to travel to see all these amazing cities -- many lesser-known destinations in the age of Instagram. I was touched by the resources in the back, which included a lovingly curated list of cities and further reading which are not to be missed.

    My one minus: I wished the selection was not quite so Eurocentric, but to be fair, the author is a UK-based architecture critic. He did include several good examples of Asian and Middle Eastern architecture.

  • Sofia V.

    Precioso libro sobre historia y arquitectura. Esencial para quién le guste el tema, una muy buena opción para quien quiera iniciarse un poco en el tema. Eso sí, a veces tanto sarcasmo del autor cansa.