In a world of disruptions and seemingly endless complexity, cities have become – perhaps more than ever – central to thinking about the future of humanity.

Yet rarely has the study of cities been more fragmented among different silos of expertise, diverse genres of scholarship, and widening chasms between theory and practice. How can we do better?

The book Cities Rethought suggests that we need to remake the way we see and know cities in order to rethink how we act and intervene within them. To this end, it offers the contours of a new urban disposition. This disposition, articulated through its normative, analytical, and operational elements, offers an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, and citizens alike to approach the complexity of cities anew, and find ways to rethink both scholarly analyses as well as modes of practice.

In a short discussion, Professor Fran Tonkiss, LSE and Professor Gillian Rose, School of Geography & the Environment, will comment on the book’s place in a wider academic and social context. The discussion will be chaired by Professor Tim Schwanen, Transport Studies Unit.

This event will involve a short discussion and a book launch of ‘Cities Rethought: A new urban disposition’ by Gautam Bhan, Michael Keith, Sue Parnell and Edgar Pieterse’ to be published formally by Polity in 2025 but with copies available at the event.

‘Cities rethought’: a book launch and lunchtime discussion