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Real Cities: Modernity, Space and the Phantasmagorias of City Life ‐ by Steve Pile
Author(s) -
Collins Matthew
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geographical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.695
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-5871
pISSN - 1745-5863
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-5871.2007.00469.x
Subject(s) - modernity , citation , space (punctuation) , sociology , art history , media studies , library science , history , computer science , political science , philosophy , law , linguistics
The city is a key concept and term of reference for urban geographers and social theorists alike. More so, the city is an idea in the minds of those who dwell in it, as well a physical configuration of buildings, facilities, functions, and other institutional forms. As Pile points out, for some urban geographers the city has always been about social relations, so that ‘what is vital about cities is that they bring together people in such a way that this makes a difference to what goes on between them’, (p.1). From this seemingly uncontentious premise, Pile weaves together a thesis, regarding the ‘reality’ of cities, via a reading of selected aspects of Simmel, Freud, and Benjamin; a heady brew of critical theory and psychoanalysis.