London, a fascinating metropolis not just in terms of its history and landmark buildings, is also a city that grew out of villages. Its unique geography is expressed in a mosaic of districts, each of primarily Georgian and Victorian squares and terraces juxtaposed with modern buildings and estates, reflect changing ideals in architecture, urban design and planning as well as shifting property values and the insatiable thirst of its consumers. London is thus both text and context: fossilised social history, with layers of economic, social and architectural history conveyed in stock brick, stucco, Portland stone, glass and steel. Underpinning this urban landscape is an evolutionary resilience that has maintained the basic spatial framework of the metropolis and sustained its inimitable character. The city’s institutional framework has been severely ruptured and reinvented time and time again after fires, bombs, floods or wholesale redevelopment. Political unrest and racial conflict have resulted in riots, while successive rounds of investment and disinvestment have replaced elements of the built environment many times over. This book offers an insightful perspective of the distinctiveness of London as expressed through its socially significant buildings and districts. AUTHOR: Paul L. Knox is a University Distinguished Professor and former Dean of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. His recent books include ‘Cities and Design ’(2010), ‘Palimpsests: Biographies of 50 City Districts’ (2012) and ‘The Atlas of Cities’ (2014). SELLING POINTS: . An accessible introduction for anyone interested in the changing urban landscape of one of the world’s most vibrant cities . Profiles the development of 27 distinctive districts, illustrated with over 500 original photographs . Authoritatively written by a leading expert on urbanisation . An essential reference for architectural students, professionals, urban planners, historians and anyone interested in London 525 colour illustrations