The planet is urbanizing at an accelerating pace. More than half of the world’s population now lives in metropolises. By 2030, that proportion is expected to increase to 60%. Even though many cities are unhealthy, the urban habitat seems destined to become the dominant way of life across the globe. What are the reasons for this rapid urbanization? What does it mean for architecture, society and culture?

Originally published in French as La ville qui vient, The City in the Making is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary attempt to understand the nature of the urban phenomenon. Starting with the origins of the first known city, it explores the logic of its millennia-long formation in order to understand its contemporary upheavals, ongoing reconfiguration and future. The book engages with archeology, architecture, economics, philosophy and politics to explore the development of the contemporary cityscape and imagine its future development.

Translated by: Anne-Marie Feenberg-Dibon