Naked City

The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, City Planning & Urban Development, Social Science, Human Geography, Sociology, Urban
Cover of the book Naked City by Sharon Zukin, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sharon Zukin ISBN: 9780199845460
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: December 18, 2009
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Sharon Zukin
ISBN: 9780199845460
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: December 18, 2009
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

As cities have gentrified, educated urbanites have come to prize what they regard as "authentic" urban life: aging buildings, art galleries, small boutiques, upscale food markets, neighborhood old-timers, funky ethnic restaurants, and old, family-owned shops. These signify a place's authenticity, in contrast to the bland standardization of the suburbs and exurbs. But as Sharon Zukin shows in Naked City, the rapid and pervasive demand for authenticity--evident in escalating real estate prices, expensive stores, and closely monitored urban streetscapes--has helped drive out the very people who first lent a neighborhood its authentic aura: immigrants, the working class, and artists. Zukin traces this economic and social evolution in six archetypal New York areas--Williamsburg, Harlem, the East Village, Union Square, Red Hook, and the city's community gardens--and travels to both the city's first IKEA store and the World Trade Center site. She shows that for followers of Jane Jacobs, this transformation is a perversion of what was supposed to happen. Indeed, Naked City is a sobering update of Jacobs' legendary 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Like Jacobs, Zukin looks at what gives neighborhoods a sense of place, but argues that over time, the emphasis on neighborhood distinctiveness has become a tool of economic elites to drive up real estate values and effectively force out the neighborhood "characters" that Jacobs so evocatively idealized.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

As cities have gentrified, educated urbanites have come to prize what they regard as "authentic" urban life: aging buildings, art galleries, small boutiques, upscale food markets, neighborhood old-timers, funky ethnic restaurants, and old, family-owned shops. These signify a place's authenticity, in contrast to the bland standardization of the suburbs and exurbs. But as Sharon Zukin shows in Naked City, the rapid and pervasive demand for authenticity--evident in escalating real estate prices, expensive stores, and closely monitored urban streetscapes--has helped drive out the very people who first lent a neighborhood its authentic aura: immigrants, the working class, and artists. Zukin traces this economic and social evolution in six archetypal New York areas--Williamsburg, Harlem, the East Village, Union Square, Red Hook, and the city's community gardens--and travels to both the city's first IKEA store and the World Trade Center site. She shows that for followers of Jane Jacobs, this transformation is a perversion of what was supposed to happen. Indeed, Naked City is a sobering update of Jacobs' legendary 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Like Jacobs, Zukin looks at what gives neighborhoods a sense of place, but argues that over time, the emphasis on neighborhood distinctiveness has become a tool of economic elites to drive up real estate values and effectively force out the neighborhood "characters" that Jacobs so evocatively idealized.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Great Triumvirate by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Stories Without Borders by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book The U.S.-Taiwan-China Relationship in International Law and Policy by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Epistemology of Testimony: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book The Future of Imprisonment by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Innocent Ecstasy, Updated Edition by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book 47 Ronin: A Samurai Story from Japan - With Audio Level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book The Changing Face of Christianity by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Pandora's Dilemma by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book The 21st Century Singer by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Human Rights and World Public Order by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book The Living Constitution by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Gospels before the Book by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Exhortations to Philosophy by Sharon Zukin
Cover of the book Metaphysics and Cognitive Science by Sharon Zukin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy