Book Description
From the devastating earthquake that shook Lisbon in 1755 to the Great Chicago fire in 1871; from the bombing of Hiroshima to the destruction of Rotterdam and Plymouth during the second World War; from the cities and towns ravaged by the Bosnian War to the symbolism of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalemthis book offers varying perspectives on how cities have responded to catastrophic disasters. Following these case studies is a history of destruction and rebuilding in Manhattan, and a reflection on the role of cities in sustaining democratic culture concludes the book. Contributors to this volume include leading urban theorists, architectural historians, cultural critics, architects, and a film-maker.
Publisher comments
About the author
Benjamin Barber is Director of The Democracy Collaborative in New York and Professor of Civil Society at the University of Maryland. He is the author of Jihad vs McWorld.
Kenneth Maxwell is Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Inter-American Studies and Director, Latin America Program, Council on Foreign Relations.
Ross Miller is Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of Connecticut.
Carola Hein is Assistant Professor, Program in Growth and Structure of Cities, Bryn Mawr College.
Han Meyer is an urban planner and Professor of Urbanism, Technical University, Delft.
Alan Powers is an architectural historian based in London.
Hubertus Siegert is a film-writer and director in Berlin.
Ralph Stern is an architect and architectural historian in New York and Berlin.
Milan Prodanovic is an architect and Professor of Urbanism, University of Novi Sad.
Kanan Makiya is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Brandeis University, and the author of Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq.
Max Page is Assistant Professor of Architecture and History, University of Massachusetts in Amherst.