The City in History; Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects.

The City in History [1961] provides the basis for modern city planning. It is one of the ‘oldies but goodies’ that should be found in the essential readings for anyone interested in cities. Lewis Mumford’s massive historical study brings together a wide array of evidence from the earliest group habitations through medieval towns to modern cities. His classical work shows how the urban form came about and how it has changed throughout human civilization. The fundamental reason for city formation remains relevant and instructive as we plan and re-plan cities for the 21^st century. The lessons are directly transferable to contemporary city-building.

Lewis Mumford became famous because of this book; he won the National Book Award for non-fiction in 1962.

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