People in Cities The Urban Environment and its Effects [Paperback]

An analysis of current research and theory about the ways in which cities affect people.Gathers and summarizes current research and theory about stereotypes about city dwellers with the results of living to life in smaller communities and compares popular stereotypes about city dwellers with the results of empirical studies.Gathers and summarizes current research and theory about stereotypes about city dwellers with the results of living to life in smaller communities and compares popular stereotypes about city dwellers with the results of empirical studies.People in Cities is about the experience of urban life. Edward Krupat analyzes current research and theory about the ways in which cities affect people. He contrasts urban living with life in smaller communities, and compares popular notions and stereotypes about city dwellers with the results of empirical research. Taking a social psychological perspective, he integrates ideas from psychology, sociology, urban planning, and architecture. Non-technical and readable, the book offers a sophisticated examination of models of urban life and explores the issues of stress and crowding, urban social relationships, images of the city, and the impact of good and poor design.Series foreword; Preface; Part I. The Idea of the City: 1. The city as environment: an introduction; 2. Urban characteristics: city versus city and city versus town; 3. Definitions and models of urban life; 4. The city as I see it: image and activity; Part II. Living in the City: 5. The city as too much: crowding, noise, and all that stress; 6. Isolation and integration: social relations in the city; 7. Cities by design: the physical environment and urban living; 8. Can the city be a livable place?; References; Author Index; Subject Index.