Book review by Maxwell Hartt of Urban Transformations: Centres, Peripheries and Systems, Daniel P. O'Donoghue, editor

Hartt, Maxwell

English

Canadian Journal of Urban Research

Canadian Journal of Urban Research / Revue canadienne de recherche urbaineCJUR winter 24:2 2015178BOOK REVIEWO’Donoghue, Daniel P. (ed).Urban Transformations: Centres, Peripheries and SystemsFarham, UK: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2014.209 pagesISBN-978-1-4094-6851-6Th e defi nition and interpretation of what is considered “urban” is in constant fl ux. Debates regarding the precise terminology of places have resulted in continuously changing typologies that refl ect the complexity of cities and their hinterland. Urban Transformations: Centres, Peripheries and Systems, a collection of discrete chapters by members of the International Geographical Union Urban Commission, explores the relationship between core and peripheral areas at a range of historical, spatial and conceptual scales. Th e goal of the book, as articulated by editor Daniel P. O’Donoghue, is to provide students with “real exposure to, and understanding of, the evolving form and function of cities and their associated peripheral regions as well as their impact on modern twenty-fi rst century landscapes.” As a collection of essays, the book presents varied and interesting case studies, however, as an educational resource the book is hindered by awkward organization and the dissimilarity cases. Th e wide temporal and geographic range covered in the book, coupled with extensive context-dependent details within each chapter, makes it diffi  cult to grasp the broader understanding that the editor seeks.Th ematically, the book is built around the idea of “urban transformations.” Th e broadness of the theme is refl ected in the diverse array of topics covered. Many chapters touch on, and a few focus on, the changing spatial structure of urban areas, however, the majority of chapters are stand-alone products with little relation to the rest of the book. Beyond the sweeping catchall of “urban transformations,” it is diffi  cult to identify many other threads tying the diff erent chapters together as the focus shifts from Internet services in Madrid to riots in England, or childcare in Tokyo to segregation in South Africa. Th e diversity of the chapters helps fulfi ll the editor’s goal of providing students with real exposure to a range of global urban evolution case studies. As individual pieces of work, the chapters provide insight to the resilience and transformative processes of cities, but unfortunately the sum does not provide much more than the individual parts. Despite some strong sections, overall the book is hindered by three signifi cant shortcomings.First, the book’s organization is not intuitive. Th e chapters are organized by geographic region. In the introduction, the editor explains that any one approach to organizing such distinct chapters will attract criticism and that the choice is one of preference rather than correctness. Th at being said, his choice of organization is not conducive to gaining a broader, global understanding of the material. Not only does the book not fl ow from chapter to chapter, this approach undermines the global nature of the material—one of the books strongest points. By clustering chapters of similar geography together, it is more diffi  cult for the reader to appreciate the similarities and diff erences that arise from global comparisons. 179Book ReviewsCJUR winter 24:2 2015Second, the range of topics is too great. Although the diversity of the material was no doubt intended to be an asset, it ultimately acts as a hindrance. By including chapters on a wide range of topics, geographies, and time periods, there is little common ground for the reader to stand on. Additionally, the constant fl uctuation of context-dependent information is a barrier to gaining a cross-national understanding of the various phenomena. Th ird, there is a lack of consistency in the style, research quality and writing quality of the chapters. Due to the organizational approach, research papers are intermixed with report-like articles and exploratory essays. Th is unpredictability is awkward for the reader as it is diffi  cult to establish consistent expectations. Th is is unfortunate as many chapters, such as Jim Simmons study of power nodes in Toronto, are clear, concise, well-articulated pieces of research.Th e global scope of the book remains is strongest feature. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned factors, the book is best used as a targeted-resource for a select number of chapters rather than as a body of work as a whole. Considering that students are the target audience, a stronger thread is needed to tie the chapters together. O’Donoghue’s chapter on core-peripheral contrasts in South East England could have been expanded into a template for other chapters to follow. Th e book contains a lot of good information and interesting hypotheses; however it is in need of stronger editorial guidance, better organization and simplifi ed themes.Maxwell HarttSchool of PlanningUniversity of Waterloo 

Urban Transformations: Centres, Peripheries and Systems

https://cjur.uwinnipeg.ca/index.php/cjur/article/download/194/102

Urban Transformations: Centres, Peripheries and Systems

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Canadian Journal of Urban Research