Will cities exist in the next century? Or will everywhere be urban? Contemporary communication and transportation networks allow for greater urban dispersal, yet cities continue to centralise great densities of activities and innovations. What form will the 21st century city take? And what role will architects and urban designers take in shaping the future form of the city? The sensing of the city - remotely and up close - addresses an immense variety of issues, relating to the problems and complexities of contemporary and future urban design.This book pulls together work by architects and urban designers at the forefront in their utilisation of remote sensing and telecommunications tools. It provides concise and accessible information on new scientific theories and technologies for a general architecture and urban design professional and student readership. It features spectacular satellite and night-time light imagery. It includes critical discussion on the politics of mass media and urban morphogenesis - who will be the actors in shaping and designing the future of cities? It will have an interdisciplinary appeal - of interest to a wider audience of urban studies and future studies in general.