Dwelling on Earth: The Past and Future of the Places We Call Home

by Stefan Al

Overview

A sweeping history of humanity’s most fundamental creation—the home—and its effects on the land, cities, and people themselves.

From tiny pit–houses in the Levant and Mesoamerica thousands of years ago to soaring skyscrapers in Dubai, New York, and Shanghai today, Dwelling on Earth takes readers on a swift and absorbing tour of the evolution of human habitation. Architectural historian and urban planner Stefan Al weaves together archaeology, engineering, social history, and environmental science to explain how our homes—the spaces in which we spend half our lives—developed through the ages and how they shaped civilization. Whisking readers from ancient Pompeii to contemporary Hong Kong, industrial–age Liverpool to postwar Levittown, Al shows how our choices in housing have both reflected and affected ideas about gender roles, privacy, and comfort. He explores architectural developments—like doorknockers, corridors, and insulation—and details how the quest for housing has had severe consequences for the environment. Finally, he examines the myths and reality of future housing, including 3D–printed homes and space architecture built by robots.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781324065722
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	04/14/2026
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Stefan Al, a licensed architect who holds a PhD in urban planning from the University of California, Berkeley, is the author of Supertall and The Strip, among other works. Originally from the Netherlands, he now lives with his family in a 100–year–old house in New Jersey.