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Decades of economic prosperity in the United States have redefined the American dream. Paul Knox explores how extreme versions of this dream have changed the American landscape. Increased wealth has led America's metropolitan areas to develop into vast sprawling regions of "metroburbia"ùfragmented mixtures of employment and residential settings, combining urban and suburban characteristics. Upper-middle-class Americans are moving into larger homes in greater numbers, which leads Knox to explore the relationship between built form and material culture in contemporary society. He covers changes in home design, real estate, the work of developers, and the changing wishes of consumers. Knox shows that contemporary suburban landscapes are a product of consumer demand, combined with the logic of real estate development, mediated by design and policy professionals and institutions of governance. Suburban landscapes not only echo the fortunes of successive generations of inhabitants, Knox argues, they also reflect the country's changing core values. Knox addresses key areas of concern and importance to today's urban planners and suburban residents including McMansions, traffic disasters, house design, homeowner's associations, exclusionary politics, and big box stores. Through the inclusion of examples and photos, Metroburbia, USA creates an accessible portrait of today's suburbs supported by data, anecdotes, and social theory. It is a broad interpretation of the American metropolitan form that looks carefully at the different influences that contribute to where and how we live today.

For introductory courses in Urban Geography, Urban Sociology, Urban Politics, and Urban Planning. This text examines the changing and developing geographies of U.S. cities and the interdependent processes that bring about urbanization throughout the nation.

This title explores current issues and developing trends from a geographic perspective, providing a solid foundation in the fundamentals of human geography, and giving meaning to people and places by integrating compelling local, regional, and global viewpoints.

The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed. For courses in Human Geography. Described as “fresh, innovative, and intelligent,” Human Geography: Places and Regions in Global Context is acclaimed for its global approach, conceptual rigor, engaging real-world applications, and outstanding visual program. Knox and Marston foster awareness of current issues and developing trends from a geographic perspective, and provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of human geography. The authors integrate compelling local, regional, and global viewpoints to give meaning to people and places. By providing access to the latest ideas, concepts, and theories, the text deepens students’ understanding of the interdependence of places and regions in a globalising world. The 7th Edition extends Knox/Marston’s modern approach, integrating new technology as well as new visual and thematic features relevant to human geography today.

Urbanization: An Introduction to Urban Geography captures the changes in the nature and outcomes of urbanisation processes for people, as well as the development of new ways of thinking about urban geography. Unraveling the interlocking processes of urbanisation, Knox and McCarthy present a vivid and meaningful explanation of constantly changing urban geographies and urban life. This framework supports the discussion of recent changes while addressing much of the “traditional” subject matter of urban geography. The book’s dynamic approach also allows for integration of both theories and facts, where key concepts and theories are presented in relation to prior events and ideas—providing a coherent and comprehensive introduction to urban geography that is both a historical and process-oriented approach. With a U.S. focus that also offers global context and comparative international perspectives, the authors examine urban trends and their outcomes in both developed and less-developed countries to understand, analyse, and interpret the landscapes, economies, and communities of towns and cities around the world. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed.

The new 5th edition of this highly respected and long-running text builds and improves upon the successful structure, thought-provoking writing style and clear presentation of previous editions. Tracing urban social geography through its theoretical underpinnings to current debates, this new edition takes account of recent critical work while also presenting the foundations and development of the subject. It explicitly relates key issues to contemporary cultural and economic life in cities, producing coverage that is stimulating, relevant and engaging for students. Key Features Key questions and concepts for each chapter to help students identify and apply the key themes Written in a lively and accessible style designed to enthuse learners to study urban social geography in further depth Chapter summaries provide revision and reflection opportunities, annotated further reading encourages further investigation Highly illustrated throughout with new photographs and informative diagrams and tables Extensive glossary of key terms highlighted in the text and elaborated upon at the end New to edition New boxed features identifying key thinkers, key debates and key trends New final chapter covering post-modernism, film and the city, and the future of urban social geography Key film lists provide pointers for cinematic coverage of urban social geography Companion website containing annotated weblinks, essay questions and project assignments This text will be essential reading forstudents of urban geography, social geography, planning, sociology and of key interest more broadly within human geography and the social sciences. Paul Knox is University Distinguished Professor and Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. His recent books include "Urbanization" (Prentice Hall, 2005, with L. McCarthy) and "The Geography of the World Economy" (Routledge, 2003, with J. Agnew and L. McCarthy). Steven Pinch is a Professor of Human Geography and Deputy Head of the School of Geography at the University of Southampton. His recent research has focused on the relationships between knowledge and competitive advantage in the British motor sport industry and has been published in "Environment and Planning, Geoforum, Journal of Economic Geography" and "Regional Studies,"

Cities, initially a product of the manufacturing era, have been thoroughly remade in the image of consumer society. Competitive spending among affluent households has intensified the importance of style and design at every scale and design professions have grown in size and importance, reflecting distinctive geographies and locating disproportionately in cities most intimately connected with global systems of key business services. Meanwhile, many observers still believe good design can make positive contributions to people’s lives. Cities and Design explores the complex relationships between design and urban environments. It traces the intellectual roots of urban design, presents a critical appraisal of the imprint and effectiveness of design professions in shaping urban environments, examines the role of design in the material culture of contemporary cities, and explores the complex linkages among designers, producers and distributors in contemporary cities, for example: fashion and graphic design in New York; architecture, fashion and publishing in London; furniture, industrial design, interior design and fashion in Milan; haute couture in Paris and so on. This book offers a distinctive social science perspective on the economic and cultural context of design in contemporary cities, presenting cities themselves as settings for design, design services and the ‘affect’ associated with design.

The design professions—architecture, city planning, landscape architecture, and urban design—share a great deal in terms of intellectual antecedents, professional ideals, and praxis. In particular, they share a commitment to creating better cities—whether at the scale of buildings, neighborhoods, or city-regions. But who decides what constitutes a “good” city, and how should such an ideal be implemented? In Better by Design? Paul Knox explores the intellectual roots of the design professions, showing how architects, planners, and other designers have traditionally interpreted their roles and implemented their ideas in cities across North America and the UK. Drawing on his long record of research and award-winning publications on the social production of the built environment, Knox offers a critical appraisal of their ultimate effectiveness in achieving the goal of creating and sustaining good cities.

This text captures the enthusiasm of today's students by reflecting the recent changes affecting the global, regional and local landscapes. It introduces a text-specific home page with Internet exercises, providing additional resources.

This edition features the exact same content as the traditional book in a convenient, three-hole-punched, loose-leaf version. Books a la Carte also offer a great value for your students--this format costs 35% less than a new textbook. Described as "fresh, innovative, and intelligent," Human Geography: Places and Regions in Global Context is acclaimed for its modern global approach, conceptual rigor, engaging real-world applications, and stunning visual program. Knox and Marston foster awareness of current issues and developing trends from a geographic perspective, and provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of human geography. The authors give meaning to people and places by integrating compelling local, regional, and global viewpoints. By providing access to the latest ideas, concepts, and theories, the book not only builds students' knowledge about places and regions, but deepens their understanding of the interdependence of places and regions in a globalizing world. The Sixth Edition extends Knox/Marston's modern approach, while making the book more accessible to a wider audience. This package contains: Books a la Carte for Human Geography: Places and Regions in Global Context, Sixth Edition