Welcome to the Urban Revolution

"Absorbing."—Next American City

 

"For a deep dive into creative city-watching and prognosis it would be tough to top [Brugmann's] insightful Welcome to the Urban Revolution."—Neal Peirce, Citiwire.net

 

"Brugmann is arguing for the collcetive power of a dense city as the ultimate form of grassroots living."—New York Review of Ideas

 

"Important and immensely engaging."—Winnipeg Free Press

 

"Urbanization may be a global-scale phenomenon, but Brugmann finds that the movement's magnitude is best observed with a highly localized viewpoint."—Zócalo

“Brugmann provides compelling evidence of an often invisible connection between globalization and urbanization. In the process he shines a new light on large cities and urban slums. He shows that slums are dynamic and well functioning economic hubs. Drawing on an exhaustive supply of first hand knowledge, he is about to change the conversation about globalization, economic development, city planning and poverty. If you are interested in challenges of the 21st century, this book is for you.”—C.K. Prahalad, Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor, Ross School of Business, the University of Michigan, and author of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits

“Writing from his long on-the-ground global experience, Jeb Brugmann has provided a rich and accessible menu of deep insights, engaging stories, and surprising facts about a world of cities. His Welcome to the Urban Revolution is a prophecy of hope and political challenge to us all.”—Michael Cohen, Director of International Affairs Program, The New School, and former Senior Advisor for Environmentally Sustainable Development at the World Bank

“Jeb Brugmann is a strategist of great analytical power . . . His book is the work of a person who with great acuity captures important moments in cities around the globe. It is a fundamental reference for all those who wish to understand how cities can change the world.”—Jaime Lerner, architect and urban planner; former mayor of Curitiba and governor of Paraná state, Brazil; president of International Union of Architects, 2002-2005

"For many, nation-states and international organizations remain the principal actors in the international system. However, we are experiencing a revolution characterized by the emergence and consolidation of an interconnected, far-reaching global city system. The migration of local traditions, the conception and implementation of local policies, and the rise of crime networks at the local level reveal how local conditions and events can transcend urban boundaries and set in motion global trends. Similar to the processes underlying the Great Migration, the major waves of urban migrations have proceeded in stages, resulting in the rise of urban networks and shifting migration patterns. While these trends have transformed authoritarian countries and established successful business models, urbanization can throw cities into crisis. Basing his work on extensive research and an engaging narrative that focuses on urban trends in Mumbai, Chicago, and Toronto, among others, Brugmann (Cambridge Univ.) argues that a continuation of the blind urbanization path sets the stage for future global crises. Progressive urban regimes, informal but stable groups able to access political institutions on a sustained basis, will empower cities to transform into more equitable, sustainable, and creative places. Recommended [for] general readers, upper-division undergraduate students, graduate students, and research faculty."—Choice magazine 

“With more than half the world now living in cities, internationally recognized urbanologist Brugmann argues that we need to take note of that fact and its social, economic, and ecological implications to develop an 'urban strategy.' This goes way beyond globalization. The urbanization of nations demands a reexamination of how resources are used for good or ill. Drawing on two decades of field research, Brugmann profiles several cities for best lessons on the peculiarly urban advantages of density, scale, association, and extension. Among the cities he examines: Bangalore, India, a 'world-changing' city with high-tech industry and fiber-optic infrastructure; the Dharavi sector of Mumbai, a dense city built on a marsh by poor migrants, that despite its vibrancy is threatened with 'slum clearance' by developers; Detroit, faltering into an urban prairie state after generations of racialized neglect; and Chicago, an example of a strategic city making use of its resources, including community groups, with smart planning for the future. Brugmann argues that the spread of threats from SARS to subprime mortgages could have been contained with better understanding of the urban conditions that created the problems. If we want a sustainable future, cities—and nations—need to use the natural advantages of urban areas with an eye toward how citizens (corporate and individual) actually use and misuse those advantages. Totally fascinating.”—Vanessa Bush, Booklist (starred review)

“Replete with detail and compelling analyses.”—Publishers Weekly