Reviews
"What Is a City'offers sensitive and nuanced explorations of the urban approached through themes of nature, mobility, community, and memory. The contributors present a thorough, insightful, and revealing portrait of one city's experience at a pivotal moment in its historical trajectory. This is a technically adept, keenly observed, and emotionally gripping work, standing at the cutting edge of urban analysis, interpretive method, and geographic conceptualization."--Robert W. Lake, author ofLocational Conflict, "Steinberg and Shields have assembled a sparkling collection of theoretically provocative and conceptually innovative essays. These not only expose the distinctive social, spatial and cultural characteristics of pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans which, with delayed federal intervention, turned the hurricane's assault into a 'racially differentiated disaster,' but extend their comments into a critique of contemporary urban theory. Addressing such wide-ranging topics as automobility, the significance of memory, creole urbanism, and New Orleans mythology, this original and interdisciplinary collection will appeal to all urbanists, whether scholars, students, or practitioners, and also to those with interests in disaster relief and climate change."--Anthony D. King, Emeritus Professor of Art History and of Sociology, State University of New York at Binghamton, " What Is a City? offers sensitive and nuanced explorations of the urban approached through themes of nature, mobility, community, and memory. The contributors present a thorough, insightful, and revealing portrait of one city's experience at a pivotal moment in its historical trajectory. This is a technically adept, keenly observed, and emotionally gripping work, standing at the cutting edge of urban analysis, interpretive method, and geographic conceptualization."--Robert W. Lake, author of Locational Conflict, " What is a City? is a welcomed and profound engagement with modern urban theory."--Clyde Woods, author of Development Arrested, "What Is a City'is a thematically and conceptually unified collection of essays about New Orleans and also about transcendent urban questions. I like this book."--Richard Schein, editor ofLandscape and Race in the United States, "Steinberg and Shields have assembled an intriguing set of essays that explore the fate of modern cities through the lens of New Orleans in the face of the hurricanes. . . .The chapters are lively, informative and well written, and provide a nice overview of what New Orleans and her neighbors face in the years to come."--John G. McNutt, Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society, "What is a City'is a welcomed and profound engagement with modern urban theory."--Clyde Woods, author ofDevelopment Arrested, What Is a City? offers sensitive and nuanced explorations of the urban approached through themes of nature, mobility, community, and memory. This is a technically adept, keenly observed, and emotionally gripping work, standing at the cutting edge of urban analysis, interpretive method, and geographic conceptualization. - Robert W. Lake, author of Locational Conflict ""What Is a City? is a thematically and conceptually unified collection of essays about New Orleans and also about transcendent urban questions. I like this book."" - Richard Schein, editor of Landscape and Race in the United States, " What Is a City? is a thematically and conceptually unified collection of essays about New Orleans and also about transcendent urban questions. I like this book."--Richard Schein, editor of Landscape and Race in the United States
