What to read to understand cities

MORE THAN half the world’s population lives in cities. In rich countries the share is four-fifths. Contrary to some predictions, remote working has so far done little to interrupt the advance of urbanisation. The rise of cities is nothing to lament: productivity is higher in urban than in rural areas, which means that urbanites tend to be richer than rural folk. Yet not all cities are equal. Some are ladders of economic opportunity. Others, especially in the former industrial heartlands of the West, are poverty traps. Many are trying to figure out how to become greener. To understand better how cities came to dominate our world, and how to design them well, read these five books.