A Brief History of Urbanisation

Urbanisation explores the extraordinary transformation that turned small settlements into towns, industrial centres, megacities, and vast metropolitan regions. It examines how cities concentrate people, capital, infrastructure, culture, opportunity—and inequality.

From industrialisation and migration to housing, transport, suburbanisation, segregation, informal settlements, gentrification, sustainability, and smart cities, this book explores the forces shaping urban development.

Why do some neighbourhoods thrive while others decline? Why does housing become unaffordable? How does transport reshape opportunity? And can rapidly growing cities remain liveable?

Urbanisation provides an accessible sociological introduction to the environments in which an increasing share of humanity now lives.