Nicholas Boys Smith – författare

''Weaves the wacky, the woeful and the wonderful into an entertaining narrative spiced with lots of London-inspired poetry'' - The TimesFrom the medieval cobbles, through Dickensian iron and fog, to the neon lights and bustle of the twenty-first century, the ever-changing streets of London map out the vibrant stories, triumphs and struggles of everyone who ever called London home. From the Roman and Celts marching along the ancient Old Kent Road, to the rattling newspaper presses of Fleet Street, the game of Monopoly has painted London''s story across cheerful coloured tiles. But those Monopoly streets live and breathe - they don''t just illuminate our history. They open up whole new ways of thinking about it. The mobs have taken to our streets. The overlords have taken them back. Wars have spilled out into them. Lovers have snuck around them, and fires have raged through them. In a city of rags and riches, where folk hero Dick Whittington believed the streets were paved with gold, anything could happen - and everything has. You may think you know the history of London. You don''t. Or at least, not entirely. This is the story of the capital as you''ve never, quite, heard it before.

'Highly entertaining' - The Times'A hymn book to the London street' - TLSFrom the Roman marching along the ancient Old Kent Road to the rattling newspaper presses of Fleet Street, from Dickensian iron and fog to the neon lights of the twenty-first century, the game of Monopoly has painted London's story across cheerful coloured tiles.But those Monopoly streets live and breathe - they open up whole new ways of thinking about our history. The mobs have taken to our streets. The overlords have taken them back. Wars have spilled out into them. Lovers have snuck around them, and fires have raged through them.In a city of rags and riches, where folk hero Dick Whittington believed the streets were paved with gold, anything could happen - and everything has.You may think you know the history of London. You don't. Or at least, not entirely. This is the story of the capital as you've never, quite, heard it before.

This anthology explores how Architecture, Urban Planning and Trade have contributed to Civility and Political order. Using Renaissance Italy, where the first trading town was born, as a starting point, the writers bring us on a journey to modern cities and societies. How can we create urban environments where the individual can flourish? Can townscapes in their own right generate happiness, and what role does architecture and trade play in creating civilised societies?