Designing Cities is the first reader to be published in the thriving field of urban design. It has been assembled to appeal to a broad range of readers interested in how the design of cities comes about.
The volume has been carefully structured to help students gain an understanding of the theoretical context from which urban design has emerged. At the same time, it promotes a particular theoretical paradigm, suggesting that urban design is best viewed as a branch of spatial political economy. The selection of articles advances this idea as far as possible, both in its organization and in its content.

The reader includes work from the past 30 years by such world famous authors as Manuel Castells and David Harvey, as well as writing by lesser known scholars which deserves a wider audience. The overall organization of the book is carefully explained in relation to the subject matter by the editor.