Urban life and mobility have been greatly affected by globalization and postmodernization. This international collection of essays investigates a number of significant issues in urban research, including urban governance, city branding and commodification, urban fears and safety, and the conservation of the urban ecosystem. Also explored are the changing lifestyles in the urban environment, the increasing importance of tourism in the economy of metropolitan areas, and the interdependence of tourism, cultural heritage and local communities. The volume offers a range of case studies exploring New York, Orlando, Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, Venice and the imitations of the latter in Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and various Chinese towns. A specific section is devoted to other Italian cities, such as Rome, Florence, Naples, and Turin. It also provides an appendix detailing the “success story” of tourism degree programmes in European universities. The book is dedicated to the memory of Guido Martinotti, a leading Italian scholar widely known for his seminal contributions to urban sociology.