Encyclopedia of American Urban History : Volumes I & II

Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications, 2007. Urban history, an interdisciplinary field that includes architects, planners, sociologists, environmentalists, political scientists, and economists, is a phenomenon of the post–World War II period. This encyclopedia has more than 300 contributors from colleges and universities across the country as well as corporations and government agencies. Editor Goldfield is the Robert Lee Bailey Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and is author or editor of 13 other books on the history of the American South. The encyclopedia approaches the rise of urban areas in America from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including economics, geography, anthropology, politics, and sociology. Focus is mainly on the twentieth century, a period during which the most dramatic change occurred in the U.S. in its move from more rural to mostly urban patterns of settlement. Arrangement is alphabetical, and each entry has one to four pages of text and a short list of references on the topic. Except for a goal stated in the introduction to showcase "the leading scholarship by both prominent and up-and-coming academics and practitioners," it is not clear how topics were chosen. Entries cover not only individuals who were involved in building and planning (Daniel H. Burnham, James W. Rouse) but also those who helped shape or define urban culture (Jane Addams, Richard J. Daley, Edward Hopper, Jacob Riis). Selected cities, among them Cincinnati, Las Vegas, and New Orleans, are the subjects of entries. Examples of other topics include African American mayors, Ashcan School, Chicago fire, Commercial strip, Environmental racism, Urban Land Institute, and Yellow journalism. 1060 pgs. Illustrated. Heavy item.. First Edition. Hard Cover. As New. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.