Cities and Buildings: Skyscrapers, Skid Rows, and Suburbs

by Larry R. Ford

Overview

In this text, Ford offers an account of the relationship between urban architecture - especially vernacular architecture - and the spatial arrangement and development of cities in North America. From office towers in the central business district to commercial strips in the edge city, Ford shows how changes in the built environment parallel changes in urban economies and human culture. Focusing on ordinary structures rather than famous landmarks, the book aims to provide a guide to understanding the changing character of any urban landscape.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801846472
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	04/01/1994
Series:	Creating the North American Landscape
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.74(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Larry R. Ford is Professor in the Department of Geography at San Diego State University.

What People are Saying About This

Edward C. Relph

Based on a wealth of observation, Cities and Buildings examines the built environment of cities—the buildings—as they contribute to the geography of the city. It is easy to read, it conveys a curiosity about and enthusiasm for cities, and it should appeal to a wide audience.

— Edward C. Relph, University of Toronto

Editorial Reviews

"An ideal companion volume to any of the more traditional texts emphasizing urban-economic and urban-social geography... I've enjoyed reading the book, it is a useful addition to my urban bookshelf, and a wonderful source of information to add colorful anecdotes to my undergraduate urban geography course."

H-Urban. - Ian Maclachlan

An ideal companion volume to any of the more traditional texts emphasizing urban-economic and urban-social geography... I've enjoyed reading the book, it is a useful addition to my urban bookshelf, and a wonderful source of information to add colorful anecdotes to my undergraduate urban geography course.

— Ian Maclachlan

H-Urban.

Writing in a conversational rather than a scholarly style, with a minimum of footnotes, urban geographer Ford bypasses the usual census data and socioeconomic categories to writes about "real" American cities and buildings--tying together architectural and social history on the one hand, and some fundamental spatial patterns and processes on the other--for urban geographers, social scientists, and other students of the American urban scene. Includes numerous b&w photos. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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