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Davis,M.(2004).Planet of slums. New Left Review Vol.26

Planet of Slums is one of the books dedicated to the study of the effects of urbanization. The writer takes a different approach in that he uses examples of popular slums like Jakarta, and Lagos in Nigeria. The following countries are located in the developing world thus making them subject to the lack of proper management of the urbanized area. The book ensures an adequate analysis of the growth of slums from the past to present day. Planet of Slums is a reflection of the negative features that come with the building and growth of architecture. The book showcases the plight of the people who reside in the affected areas and their struggle with the change of environment. The writer looks at the progress the countries are taking to eradicate the issue so as to promote a healthy environment. This is brought out through the use of real life situations experienced in the slums. The rate of the growth of slums continues to ride due to the mismanagement by authorities in this sector. The writer brings out the reasons for the growing rate and the recommendations on how to solve the issue. The book gives an insight to new readers who intend to know about the situation at hand. It thus acts as an educational device to interested parties. It is an easy read due to the writing style used by the writers in all the chapters. This makes it accessible to new readers who choose to take an interest in the geographical state of a majority of the urbanized cities.

Hall,P.(2002).Cities of Tomorrow. Chapter 2 City of Dreadful Night pp13-47

Geoffrey Halls, Cities of Tommorow is one of the geographical books that pay tribute to the planning and development of the country. The main theme of the book is based on the initial stages of urbanization in the 20th century era. Hall manages to display the environmental issues that have arisen from urbanization. The book forms a relationship between urban development and the rise of environmental issue such as global warming and ozone depletion. The book offers some of the essential rules of environmental friendly city planning for people who choose to take on planning and development as a career. The writer ensures a proper introduction of the book which in turn provides a proper understanding of the geography of the country. This is also ideal because it helps form a foundation of the study of modern city planning. Chapter two is more critical owing to its emphasis on the pivotal geographical structures. A large percentage of the modern architecture is influenced by traditional architecture. The author forms a relationship between the present designs and the initial forms of inspiration. This makes the reader follow the journey of the growth of the industry. Cities of tomorrow, is fundamental to the proper comprehension of the arrangement of the cities. The writer showcases how improper planning has resorted to environmental hazards. This creates an avenue for awareness of the treatment of the environment through the study of environment related issues. One of the advantages of the book is its interesting depictions of the initial rules and laws of urbanization. The book thus brings out the simplicity of the art form without taking away the professionalism used in the past. Despite this, the book displays some weaknesses by limiting the focus of the cities. This secludes key players in the industry which have shaped the current geographical situation. Written in 2002, the book is recent and to some extent making it a credible source of information. This makes it one a preferred book in the area of study to date.

Hall,T., Hubbard,P. and Short, J.R.eds (2008)Modernity and Utopia: The Sage Companion to the City pp67-87.

Hall and Hubbard use the book to provide a comprehensive study guide of the city dynamics. The writers look into the main contributors to the urbanization of the cities. The book contains different sections that organize the content into four different categories. This provides a better understanding of the book due to the carefully illustrated examples of the book. The writers cover key aspects of the topic in question making the book preferred choice of reference. One of the key aspects of the book is the relation of culture in the growth of the economy. Culture is one of the determining factors in the development of urbanization. A majority of the cultural aspects are said to be a source of inspiration for architecture and urbanization. The book is thus ideal for the creation of awareness of the modern and traditional way of living. The city environment is thus reflective of the cultures responsible for the developed cities. The environment is modern due to the change of the building and planning trends. This as a result influences the change of societal environment to suite the latest forms of developments.

Kostof ,S.(1991).The city Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History. Boston ,New York, Toronto, London, Little Brown &Co. “ The city in History”pp29-41

The city shaped is one of the monumental books that talk of the country’s history in terms of its geographical plan. Kostof looks at the geographical nature of North America using the major landmarks that shaped the cultural aspects of the continent as a whole. The book is descriptive in nature due to the explanation of the inception of the urbanization in the Americas. Urbanization is an essential aspect in the present due to its effects on the ecosystem and the environment. Most of the buildings and industrial structures have led to the elimination of the natural resources and features. The author uses examples of landmarks that have been vital to the growth and sustainability of the ancient cities. The growth of the cities has in turn led to the demise of the environment due to the lack of regard for environmental sustainability. The book forms its premise on the use of ancient articles, traditional history and literature stored in the archives. This is essential in that it provides an adequate analysis of the lifestyles of the people in this era. Kostof displays an immense amount of knowledge through his performance of research and exploration. This gives the book an edge over the rest in all aspects. The book contains explanations of commonly used geographical meanings. This in turn gives a depth analysis of early urbanization and the patens they entail. The book is an easy read due to the writers approach on the writing style used. This serves as an advantage in terms of the reception of the book by new readers. The book is not updated seeing as it is published in 1991. This limits the information given by the book owing to the number of discoveries made over the years. The book is highly reliable and credible making it a significant contributor to the study of geography. It is thus therefore a must read for students who choose to study the history of urbanization in relation to the geographical nature of the country as a whole.

References

Davis,M.(2004).Planet of slums. New Left Review Vol.26

Hall,T., Hubbard,P. and Short, J.R.eds Gold,J.R.(2008). ‘Modernity and Utopia :The Sage Companion to the City pp67-87

Hall,P.(2002).Cities of Tomorrow. Chapter 2 City of Dreadful Night pp13-4.

Kostof ,S.(1991).The city Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History. Boston ,New York, Toronto, London, Little Brown &Co. “ The city in History”pp29-41.