We are an urban nation and have been so, officially at least, since the early twentieth century. But long before then, our cities played crucial roles in the economic and political development of the nation, as magnets for immigrants from here and abroad, and as centers of culture and innovation. They still do. Yet, the discipline that we call "Urban History" is really a phenomenon of post-World War II scholarship.

Now, after a generation of pathbreaking scholarship that has reoriented and enlightened our perception of the American city, the two volumes of the Encyclopedia of American Urban History offer both a summary and an interpretation of the field. With contributions from leading academics in their fields, this authoritative resource offers an interdisciplinary approach by covering topics from economics, geography, anthropology, politics, and sociology.

Key Features


Addresses the rise of urban America using a concise, readable, and historical format
Focuses on the 20th century-a century with the most dramatic urban growth and a time when the United States transformed from being a nation of shopkeepers and farmers to an urban industrial, and then post-industrial society
Defines "urban" broadly, including suburban environments, and even something new and, literally, far out, called "penurbia"
Offers both a referential and a reverential approach to produce a work that functions as a research tool and as a commemoration of scholarship
Includes contributions from leading academics and scholars as well as from those who work for non-profits, governments, and corporations


The Encyclopedia of American Urban History is a fundamental reference work intended to ground and inspire future research in the field. It is an essential resource for any academic library.