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Business & Economics Urban & Regional

The Evolution of Great World Cities

Urban Wealth and Economic Growth

by (author) Christopher Kennedy

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Aug 2011
Category
Urban & Regional, Economic History, General
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442694774
    Publish Date
    Aug 2011
    List Price
    $29.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781442642737
    Publish Date
    Aug 2011
    List Price
    $72.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781442611528
    Publish Date
    Aug 2011
    List Price
    $39.95

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Description

Some cities seem destined to become major financial capitals, yet never do—Seville, for instance, was the centre of Spain's opulent New World Empire, but failed to become a financial metropolis. Others, like former colonial backwater Hong Kong, defy the odds by growing into major trading centres. What are the key factors distinguishing those cities that become wealthy from those that don't? Christopher Kennedy illuminates how geography, technology, and especially the infrastructure of urban economies allow cities to develop and thrive.
The Evolution of Great World Cities unfolds through the tales of several urban centres—including Venice, Amsterdam, London, and New York City—at key junctures in their histories. Kennedy weaves together significant insights from urbanists such as Jane Jacobs and economists such as John Maynard Keynes, drawing striking parallels between the functioning of ecosystems and of wealthy capitals. The Evolution of Great World Cities offers an accessible introduction to urban economies that 'will change the way you think about cities.'

About the author

Christopher Kennedy is a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Christopher Kennedy's profile page