"The joint WHO and UN-HABITAT report, Hidden cities: unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings, is being released at a turning point in human history. For the first time ever, the majority of the world's population is living in cities, and this proportion continues to grow. Putting this into numbers, in 1990 fewer than 4 in 10 people lived in urban areas. In 2010, more than half live in cities, and by 2050 this proportion will grow to 7 out of every 10 people. The number of urban residents is growing by nearly 60 million every year. This demographic transition from rural to urban, or urbanization, has far-reaching consequences. Urbanization has been associated with overall shifts in the economy, away from agriculture-based activities and towards mass industry, technology and service. High urban densities have reduced transaction costs, made public spending on infrastructure and services more economically viable, and facilitated generation and diffusion of knowledge, all of which have fuelled economic growth"--Page ix.

In this fascinating glimpse into the world of urban exploration, Moses Gates describes his trespasses in some of the most illustrious cities in the world from Paris to Cairo to Moscow. Also, exclusive to this e-book, are firsthand accounts from the author's fellow travelers and family. Gates is a new breed of adventurer for the 21st century. He thrives on the thrill of seeing what others do not see, let alone even know exists. It all began quite innocuously. After moving to New York City and pursuing graduate studies in Urban Planning, he began unearthing hidden facets of the city—abandoned structures, disused subway stops, incredible rooftop views that belonged to cordoned-off buildings. At first it was about satiating a nagging curiosity; yet the more he experienced and saw, the more his thirst for adventure grew, eventually leading him abroad. In this memoir of his experiences, Gates details his travels through underground canals, sewers, subways, and crypts, in metropolises spanning four continents. In this finely-written book, Gates describes his immersion in the worldwide subculture of urban exploration; how he joined a world of people who create secret art galleries in subway tunnels, break into national monuments for fun, and travel the globe sleeping in centuries-old catacombs and abandoned Soviet relics rather than hotels or bed-and-breakfasts. They push each other further and further—visiting the hidden side of a dozen countries, discovering ancient underground Roman ruins, scaling the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges, partying in tunnels, sneaking into Stonehenge, and even finding themselves under arrest on top of Notre Dame Cathedral. Ultimately, Gates contemplates why he and other urban explorers are so instinctively drawn to these unknown and sometimes forbidden places—even (and for some, especially) when the stakes are high. Hidden Cities will inspire readers to think about the potential for urban exploration available for anyone, anywhere—if they have only the curiosity (and nerve!) to dig below the surface to discover the hidden corners of this world.

The richly varied phenomenon of urban popcultures, through distinctive practices and forms, has significantly marked the life of modern city.

The mythic beasts and glorious legends of feudal China illuminate a world at war in this, the conclusion to Daniel Fox’s critically acclaimed series. Whatever they thought, this was always where they were going: to the belly of the dragon, or the belly of the sea. More by chance than good judgment, the young emperor has won his first battle. The rebels have retreated from the coastal city of Santung—but they’ll be back. Distracted by his pregnant concubine, the emperor sends a distrusted aide, Ping Wen, to govern Santung in his place. There, the treacherous general will discover the healer Tien, who is obsessed with a library of sacred mage texts and the secrets concealed within—secrets upon which, Ping Wen quickly realizes, the fate of the whole war may turn. As all sides of this seething conflict prepare for more butchery, a miner of magical jade, himself invulnerable, desperately tries to save his beautiful and yet brutally scarred clan cousin; a priestess loses her children, who are taken as pawns in a contest beyond her comprehension; and a fierce and powerful woman commits an act of violence that will entwine her, body and soul, with the spirit of jade itself. Amid a horde of soldiers, torturers, and runaways, these people will test both their human and mystical powers against a violent world. But one force trumps all: the huge, hungry, wrathful dragon.

This groundbreaking collection explores the convergence of the spatial and digital turns through a suite of smartphone apps (Hidden Cities) that present research-led itineraries in early modern cities as public history. The Hidden Cities apps have expanded from an initial case example of Renaissance Florence to a further five historic European cities. This collection considers how the medium structures new methodologies for site-based historical research, while also providing a platform for public history experiences that go beyond typical heritage priorities. It also presents guidelines for user experience design that reconciles the interests of researchers and end users. A central section of the volume presents the underpinning original scholarship that shapes the locative app trails, illustrating how historical research can be translated into public-facing work. The final section examines how history, delivered in the format of geolocated apps, offers new opportunities for collaboration and innovation: from the creation of museums without walls, connecting objects in collections to their original settings, to informing decision-making in city tourism management. Hidden Cities is a valuable resource for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars across a variety of disciplines including urban history, public history, museum studies, art and architecture, and digital humanities. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Hidden City of Alchemy is a Steampunk adventure injected with just the right amount of science fiction, romance, and historical fiction, to keep the reader on their toes. A smart and brave heroine with a love for inventing discovers a dangerous family secret in a diary after her mother is kidnapped by German spies. Lizzie must leave London and travel to France while learning the shocking truth about her ancestor and about a chemical which could destroy the world, if it should fall into the wrong hands. AU UPDATE 2.28.2020: “An exciting ride through a steampunk world filled with adventure. Surprises around every corner!” - Madolyn Locke, award-winning author of ‘The Quilt’ Stand-alone steampunk tale from Melissa Coleman 5-star readers favourite award-winning author of A Confabulated Compendium of Anecdotes and The Halfling. Young English woman, Elizabeth Peters has a ski-sloped nose, a hereditary defect from her father’s side. But what is distinguishable about her is her intelligence. She’d rather spend her time inventing gadgets, redesigning engineering contraptions and doing word puzzles than becoming a respectable housewife as her mother wishes. Elizabeth’s world is turned upside down one evening when she arrives home to find the house has been ransacked and her mother missing from her basement workshop – presumably kidnapped by German spies. After sifting through the wreckage, she discovers a dangerous family secret in a peculiar-looking cryptic diary, a strange talking ring and a French man - Albert Bourdillon. Lizzie must leave London and travel to France while learning the shocking truth about the owner of the diary and about a chemical which could destroy the world, if it should fall into the wrong hands. A chemical threat so lethal it could destroy herself, the people she loves and the world. Hidden City of Alchemy is a Steampunk adventure injected with just the right amount of science fiction, romance, and historical fiction, to keep the reader on their toes.

In this final volume of the Vastus tetralogy, the telepaths have discovered stolen dragons on Vastus and are determined to capture and return them to Mendje. Humans and shapeshifters fear the telepaths will use the dragons to destroy their suffering civilizations. After generations of fighting, food is scarce in space. Remnants of the battle fleets are gathering around Vastus, desperate for its abundant resources. Those watching over the planet are suspected of treason and could be captured at any moment. Elaina and Davu have been imprisoned in a strange and unfamiliar place that is nothing like they have ever encountered before. They discover secrets that have been hidden for generations as they fight to defend their home against ruthless invaders and assassins. The stakes are high as each species looks to this young warrior and her dragon to vanquish their enemies and bring closure to endless war.

of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In The Sustainable City V many interrelated aspects of the urban environment from transport and mobility to social exclusions and crime prevention are addressed. The papers included were originally presented at the Fifth International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability and will be of interest to city planners, architects, environmental engineers and all academics, professionals and practitioners working in the wide range of disciplines associated with creating a viable urban environment.In this book the papers are published under the following topics: Architectural issues; Cultural heritage; Energy resources systems; Environmental management; Healthy cities; Indicators: ecological, economic, social; Land use and management; Mega cities; Planning issues; Planning, development and management; Public safety; Revitalisation strategies; Socio-economic issues; Spatial modelling; Strategy; Sustainable transportation and transport integration; The community and the city; Traffic and transportation; Urban-rural relationships.

During the London Blitz, a veteran from World War One goes in search of the author Arthur Machen. He has some questions to ask him… “What did I really see in the trenches?” “Were those angels?” “Who am I?” The answers, when they come, challenge everything he has ever believed to be true. When Arthur Machen's "The Bowmen" was published in 1915, many English readers believed his tale of heavenly archers defeating the advancing German troops of WWI to be true. Here, Tim Lebbon & Simon Clark pay homage to Machen with their novella Exorcising Angels, set against the backdrop of The Blitz of WWII, when (in the words of the Bishop of London) all of Great Britain needed to pray a "plea to the Heavenly Father for divine protection against these Swastikad angels of Death."