City of Quarters : Urban Villages in the Contemporary City

In terms of the city, when one thinks of quarters, class and ethnicity, as well as sex and other behaviours spring to mind. These essays examine the role of urban quarters in terms of structural, political, economic, social, cultural and spatial change.

In cities throughout the world, there is an increasingly ubiquitous presence of distinct social and spatial areas - urban villages, cultural and ethnic quarters. These spaces are sites where capital and culture intertwine in new ways. City of Quarters brings together some of the most prominent authors writing about urban villages to provide the first systematic and multi-disciplinary overview of this high-profile urban phenomenon. They address key questions such as ''What is the role of urban villages and quarters in the contemporary city?'' and ''What are the economic, political, socio-spatial and cultural practices and processes that surround these urban spaces?'' Blending conceptual chapters with theoretically directed case studies from all over the world, this book includes issues such as local and regional development strategies, production, consumption, the creative industries, popular culture, identity, lifestyle, and tourism.