City Development

'Strange, playful and intimate . . . I didn't want it to end' LUCY ROSE, author of The Lamb '[A] brilliant study of need, want, loneliness, and power . . . soft and sharp, totally in control, utterly deranged. I lapped it up' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of Almost Life 'Hilarious and moving'...

Over the past 10 years, urban planners, technology companies, and governments have promoted smart cities with a somewhat utopian vision of urban life made knowable and manageable through data collection and analysis. Emerging smart cities have become both crucibles and showrooms for the practical application of the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and the integration of big data into everyday life. Are smart cities optimized, sustainable, digitally networked solutions to urban problems? Or are they neoliberal, corporate-controlled, undemocratic non-places?

Explore the dramatic geopolitical history of an underdog island that engineered an astonishing economic survival miracle. Perfect for your daily commute, this gripping narrative transforms complex wealth creation into an awe-inspiring story of human resilience. Immerse yourself in the relentless...

Witness the dramatic urban history of a rocky archipelago evolving into a booming global megacity. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive narrative sweeps you across centuries of maritime trade, imperial rivalries, and relentless industrialization. Dive into a vibrant, gritty world where...

Having recalled his life through the story of his physical self in Winter Journal, internationally acclaimed novelist Paul Auster remembers the experience of his development from within through the encounters of his interior self with the outer world in Report from the Interior. In the beginning...

This program includes an introduction and epilogue read by the author. This century has seen the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history—but who bears the brunt of these monster storms? Consider this: Five of the most expensive hurricanes in history have made landfall since 2005: Katrina ($160...

Trace the epic narrative history of human civilization, evolving from scattered tribes to sprawling modern megacities. Whether you are powering through a morning commute or seeking an immersive learning experience, this sweeping saga explores how urban density birthed spectacular innovation and...

Uncover the Southeast Asian history and fierce resilience of a megacity reborn from war and colonization. Watch a humble river settlement transform into Vietnam’s economic engine through decades of imperial conquest. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive narrative brings vibrant...

Trace the restless urban history of a swampy river delta transformed into a glittering, battle-tested Asian metropolis. Perfect for your morning commute or as an immersive travel companion, this evocative non-fiction narrative trades dry facts for a bustling journey along the water. History...

Master the hidden systems of urban planning and sustainable design to transform your daily commute and local community. Whether you are waiting for a delayed bus, renting a downtown apartment, or walking through your neighborhood, the invisible rules of civic design impact your everyday life...

Discover the dramatic American history of an engineering marvel that conquered the East River against impossible odds. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive audiobook transports you to nineteenth-century New York, where soaring ambition clashed with fierce political corruption. Listen...

Discover the epic narrative history of human evolution, tracking our turbulent rise from early foragers to megacities. Satisfy your intellectual curiosity during your morning commute with this awe-inspiring journey through time. Witness how geography, chance, and technological leaps transformed...

Trace 600 years of gripping Asian history as a quiet Confucian capital evolves into a sprawling global tech megacity. Perfect for a daily commute or armchair travel, this immersive urban biography explores the dramatic rise of a society shaped by imperial ambition, war, and relentless innovation...

Experience the gripping urban history of how untamed wilderness transformed into a towering empire of steel and ambition. Perfect for your daily commute or an immersive weekend walk, this brisk historical journey drops you directly into the clashes, triumphs, and defining turning points of a...

Hear how a swampy frontier settlement transformed into a gritty industrial powerhouse of American urban history. Perfect for your morning commute, this gripping historical narrative explores the sheer human stubbornness that forged a metropolis out of mud. Immerse yourself in a dynamic true...

Experience how pragmatic merchants outmaneuvered elite samurai to build Japan's urban capitalism and economic might. Perfect for an educational commute, this immersive history explores the bustling rivers, rice exchanges, and guild networks of a low-lying delta that transformed into a financial...

Explore the epic urban history of a fragile settlement that survived warlords and disasters to become a global megacity. Perfect for your daily commute or armchair travel, this awe-inspiring journey transports you straight to the bustling streets of Japan. Watch an ancient crossroads morph under...

Explore the immersive African history of how a small coastal village exploded into a restless urban megacity. Perfect for your morning commute, this dynamic narrative captures the fierce hustle and cultural heartbeat of West Africa's most daunting metropolis. Navigate the bustling markets and...

Journey through an atmospheric urban history of colonial conquest, cultural resilience, and empire building. Perfect for your daily commute, this deep dive transports you to muddy riverbanks where a modest shrine evolved into a fiercely contested imperial capital. Experience the vivid sights and...

Experience the turbulent Latin American history of a fragile colonial outpost that fought to become a global metropolis. Perfect for an educational commute or travel preparation, this gripping historical narrative sweeps across the bloody battlegrounds of independence and the sprawling docks of...