1st Edition
The New Wealth of Cities City Dynamics and the Fifth Wave
Over the past two decades, city economies have restructured in response to the decline of older industries. This has involved new forms of planning and urban economic development, a return to traditional concerns of city building and a focus on urban design. During this period, there has also been a marked rise in our understanding of cultural development and its role in the design, economy and life of cities. In this book, John Montgomery argues that this amounts to a shift in urban development. He provides a long overdue look at the dynamics of the city, that is, how cities work in relation to the long cycles of economic development and suggests that a new wave of prosperity, built on new technologies and new industries, is just getting underway in the Western world. The New Wealth of Cities focuses on what effect this will have on cities and city regions and how they should react. Original and wide-ranging, this book will be a definitive resource on city economies and urban planning, explaining why it is that cities develop over time in periods of propulsive growth and bouts of decline.
Biography
John Montgomery is an urban and city regional planner, specialising in the economy, culture and the design of cities. In 1995, John was awarded Royal Town Planning Institute prize for his work on a knowledge-based, environmentally sustainable industrial strategy for Hertfordshire.
’The amiable but provocative personality of John Montgomery shines in this panoptic preview of the world's next upward wave of creativity and enterprise - delightful connections are made across art, business, music, science and literature to guide us to prepare cities as theatres for human endeavour and shape streets that will bring us together and make us spark. This book lays a stimulating foundation for the new wave of interventions by city planners, architects, developers and entrepreneurs. Montgomery really makes us feel this is a great time to be alive, and to be making and re-making cities.’ David Lock, University of Reading, UK and Chair of the Town and Country Planning Association, UK ’At a time when over half the world's population lives in cities and our governments, development agencies, and citizens are all calling for a new approach to their design and management, John Montgomery clearly articulates the processes and forces that shape our cities. He draws from practical personal experience as well as a thorough knowledge of this complex field. This refreshingly accessible book gives new insights into the dynamics of cities and should be essential reading for anyone who is interested in gaining a better understanding of how cities develop and change.’ Rob Adams, City of Melbourne, Australia
