Cities and Consumption

In investigating the mutual and dynamic relationship between urban development and consumption, this book asks: how are cities moulded by consumption, and how is consumption moulded by cities? Consumption stands at the intersection of different spheres of everyday life: between the public and the private, the political and the personal, the individual and the social. It is considered to be a means and motor of social change; as an active ingredient in the construction of space and place, and in constructing subjectivity and social selfhood. Providing a critical review of the ways in which urban development has been conceptualized, this book critiques urban regeneration initiatives, examines ordinary and spectacular consumption and describes the relationship between consumption and development of the modern and post-modern city. It investigates: - consumption and the city - consumption and everyday life - consumption, cities and identity - consumption and urban regeneration. Consumption is understood to have multiple roles as a political, economic and cultural touchstone, and to be an active ingredient in the construction of place and space. Using international case studies and illustrations throughout, this book thoroughly analyzes consumption and the city, and provides a useful text for students of urban studies, sociology and geography.