Urban theory

Urban theory describes the economic, political and social processes which affect the formation and development of cities. Theoretical discourse has often polarized between economic determinism and cultural determinism with scientific or technological determinism adding another contentious issue of reification. Studies across eastern and western nations have suggested that certain cultural values promote economic development and that the economy in turn changes cultural values. Urban historians were among the first to acknowledge the importance of technology in the city. It embeds the single most dominant characteristic of a city; its networked character perpetuated by information technology. Regardless of the deterministic stance (economic, cultural or technological), in the context of globalization, there is a mandate to mold the city to complement the global economic structure and urbanomics gains ascendancy. Lewis Mumford described monumental architecture as an "expression of power" seeking to produce "respectful terror". Gigantism, geometry, and order are characteristic of cities such as Washington, D.C., New Delhi, Beijing and Brasília. The Industrial Revolution was accompanied by urbanization in Europe and the United States in the 19th century. Friedrich Engels studied Manchester, which was being transformed by the cotton industry. He noted how the city was divided into the wealthy and working class areas, which were physically separated so that one could not see any of the latter from the former. The city was therefore a function of capital. Georg Simmel studied the effect of the urban environment on the individuals living in cities, arguing in The Metropolis and Mental Life that the increase in human interaction affected relationships. The activity and anonymity of the city led to a 'blasé attitude' with reservations and aloofness by urban denizens. This was also driven by the market economy of the city, which corroded traditional norms. However, people in cities were also more tolerant and sophisticated.