Reflecting the vigour of both urban and medieval history, this timely textbook by a leading scholar of urban studies is a broadly interdisciplinary work that breaks new ground by emphasising the links between the late medieval and early modern cities. Urban Europe, 1100-1700: - examines the common social, governmental, economic and intellectual roles played by most pre-modern cities - views cities as originating in local market relations, then expanding with the growing complexity of their functions into regional centres of culture, government and exchange - adopts an organic, evolutionary and environmental approach, particularly in its application of geographical systems to early urbanisation - makes extensive use of maps and original source material to illustrate aspects of the urban experience David Nicholas' study will appeal to students and scholars of history, geography and urban studies. Sociologists and political economists will also value its demonstration of the continuing relevance of the thought of Max Weber, while urban planners will find its analysis of the rationality of pre-modern cities highly useful.

Whilst much has been written about early modern urban history, the majority of this work has focussed on Western Europe with relatively little available in English on towns and cities in the former communist East. However, in recent years urban scholars have increasingly looked to a much more inclusive picture of Europe that compares and contrasts development across the whole continent. Dealing primarily with Bohemia, Hungary and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, this book provides an insight into a number of key issues concerning the economic, social and demographic trends in early modern East-Central European urban history. Taking a supra-national perspective, across a long time span, it examines the effects of migration, Reformation, state building and economic change on the transformation of medieval urban communities into early modern societies. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, particularly the registers of new citizens kept by many towns and cities, a fascinating picture of urban development and social structure is reconstructed that not only tells us much about East-Central Europe, but adds to our knowledge of the whole continent.

New to This Edition --

This leading text offers a comprehensive, richly nuanced, and authoritative introduction to European geography. Coverage encompasses the entire region: its physical setting and environment, population and migration, languages and religions, and political organization. Particular attention is given to historic and contemporary features of the diverse urban environments in which most Europeans live, work, and play. Combining vivid description, essential information, and cogent analysis, the text is illustrated with more than 200 photographs and 64 maps. New to This Edition*Fully updated to reflect ongoing changes in this dynamic region.*Expanded coverage of timely topics such as emissions and energy policy, aging of the population, migration, religiosity and secularization, ethnonationalism, health care, popular culture, and the future of the European Union.*Engaging vignettes in every chapter on European places, cultural issues, and daily life.*Over 45 new photographs and maps.

Broadly defined, urban planning today is a process one might describe as half design and half social engineering. It considers not only the aesthetic and visual product, but also the economic, political, and social implications, as well as the environmental impact. This collection of essays explores the question of whether this sort of multifaceted planning took place in the Middle Ages, and how it manifested itself outside of the monastic realm. Bringing together the monastic historian and archaeologist, with scholars of art and architecture, this volume expands our comprehension of how those in roles of authority saw the planning process and implemented their plans to structure a particular outcome. The examination of architectural complexes, literary sources, commercial legers, and political records highlights the multiple avenues for viewing the growing awareness of the social potential of an urban environment.

According to one narrative, that received almost canonical status a century ago with Francis Haverfield, the orthogonal grid was the most important development of ancient town planning, embodying values of civilization in contrast to barbarism, diffused in particular by hundreds of Roman colonial foundations, and its main legacy to subsequent urban development was the model of the grid city, spread across the New World in new colonial cities. This book explores the shortcomings of that all too colonialist narrative and offers new perspectives. It explores the ideals articulated both by ancient city founders and their modern successors; it looks at new evidence for Roman colonial foundations to reassess their aims; and it looks at the many ways post-Roman urbanism looked back to the Roman model with a constant re-appropriation of the idea of the Roman.

The volume explores late medieval market mechanisms and associated institutional, fiscal and monetary, organizational, decision-making, legal and ethical issues, as well as selected aspects of production, consumption and market integration. The essays span a variety of local, regional, and long-distance markets and networks.