Routledge Urban Development in the Muslim World

Product Description War and revolution have focused the world's attention on the Middle East. Despite the headlines, the editors of this book state, "the economic, political, and cultural aspects of urban life in the Muslim world are hardly known to us." Contributors to this volume explore urban problems, urban development, and the practice of urban planning in the Muslim world.In both comprehensive analyses and detailed case studies, the contributors address the basic dilemma of development planning: how to integrate the force of tradition with the demands of modernity. Specifically, some of the topics covered include the examination of the idea of a uniquely "Islamic" city; the influence of Islam on the medinas of Tunisia and Morocco and on the development of Mecca and Delhi; and reconciling tradition and modernism in Tehran.Also covered are the comparative development of Sana'a and Cairo; the influence of oil on urbanization in the Persian Gulf; urban growth in Syria; and an overview of urban planning in the Arab world. This compendium is essential for specialists and students of the region, for international planning and development practitioners, and for those seeking insight into the complexities of this important but arguably least understood region of the world. Review -[P]rovides a useful balance by its focus on this neglected but dynamic part of the world.- --Contemporary Sociology -Included are three general articles plus case studies on Mecca, Tehran, Sanca, Cairo, Delhi, North Africa, Syria, and the Persian Gulf written by academics, most of whom have practical experience dealing with urban problems. Many of the authors examine the crises engulfing Muslim societies, as demonstrated in cities, and with the disjunctures and discontinuities between premodern and modern times. They focus in part on the role of state intervention in urban planning. Some authors specifically consider the issue of Islam and its influence on the development of cities and on urban change. Several raise questions about what is particularly -Islamic- about cities in the Muslim world. Each chapter contains its own references, and many contain tables and discussions of statistics. Recommended- --L. Beck, Choice -The history of urban development and planning in the Muslim world is the subject of this very informative book. For those who were interested in learning about the urbanization process in developing countries in general and in the Muslim countries in particular, this book presents a good opportunity. The book takes a historical perspective on the impacts of Islam on the spatial structure and architectural design of some cities, and it also discusses the transformation of Islamic cities as a result of Western influences. It emphasizes the challenge that faces urban and regional planners in the Muslim world, who cope with both the modernization and continuous growth of some large cities and the preservation of the Islamic fabric of those cities.- --Hesham M. Abdel-Rahman, Journal of Regional Science -Along with the highly publicized regional conflicts and national turmoil in the Muslim world, a quiet but equally important spatio-demographic process is also in progress. To make sense of the former requires a better understanding of the latter. This book focuses on the historical and contemporary aspects of population, urbanization, and urban planning in selected countries of Asia and North Africa... [T]he individual chapters are fine examples of scholarly work on urban development and urban planning during the 1980s by authors who represent planning, geography, sociology, architecture, and Middle Eastern and Islamic studies... [T]he book is a welcome addition to the few publications on the dynamics of urban growth and development in the region. Urban Development would be worthwhile as a readily accessible supplementary text in urban geography, sociology, history, and planning courses focusing on the Third or Muslim worlds.- --Mohamm