The Cambridge Urban History of Europe – serie

Volume I offers a broad perspective on urban culture in the ancient European world. It begins with chronological overviews which paint in broad brushstrokes a picture that serves as a frame for the thematic chapters in the rest of the volume. Positioning ancient Europe within its wider context, it touches on Asia and Africa as regions that informed and were later influenced by urban development in Europe, with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean basin. Topics range from formal characteristics (including public space), water provision, waste disposal, urban maintenance, spaces for the dead, and border spaces; to ways of thinking about, visualising, and remembering cities in antiquity; to conflict within and between cities, economics, mobility and globalisation, intersectional urban experiences, slavery, political participation, and religion.

Volume III uncovers the radical transformations of European cities from 1850 until the twenty-first century. The volume explores how modern developments in urban environments, socio-cultural dynamics, the relation between work and leisure, and governance have transformed urban life. It highlights these complex processes across different regions, showcasing the latest scholarship and current challenges in the field. The first half provides an overview on the urban development of European regions in the West, North, Centre, East-South-East, and South, and the interconnectedness of European urbanism with the Americas and Africa. The second half explores major themes in European urban history, from the conceptualisation of cities, their built fabric and environment, and the continuities, rhythms, and changes in their social, political, economic, and cultural histories. Using transborder, transregional, and transdisciplinary approaches to discern traits that characterise modern and contemporary European urbanism, the volume invites readers to reconsider major paradigms of European urban history.

Split into three volumes chronologically, The Cambridge Urban History of Europe comprehensively and methodically examines Europe's long urban history from its pre-historic roots through to today. Featuring over a hundred essays from experts across various disciplines and countries, the volumes provide an up-to-date analysis of current issues and major themes in urban studies, and sheds new light on regions that are often ignored or receive marginal treatment. The volumes explore topics including, but not limited to, urban landscapes, urban planning, warfare, health care, gender roles, economics, mobility, and religion from a cross-disciplinary perspective to create a broad picture of Europe's urban existence across time to the present. Authoritative and contemporary, the collection is a state-of-the-art survey of the history of urban Europe.