Welsh Journals

City and Society. An Outline for Urban Geography. R.J.Johnston Penguin, London (1980). pp. 284. ISBN 0 14 08.03734. Price (paper- back) £ 2.95. Professor Ron Johnston has provided, in this short book, a coherent framework for much of modern urban geography. In a comfortable way he deals with a set of complex concepts, which have been the traditional content of urban geography, and places them within the general framework of the transition from pre-industrial to late- capitalist society. The book is concerned both with the evolution of the city within the broad context of social change and also the con- temporary processes active within the city. These two themes per- vade the book but the early chapters are more concerned with the evolutionary concepts whilst later chapters are more concerned with internal city processes. The early chapters explore the changing structure of society and the evolution of capitalism. The development sequence from primit- ive tribalism through to late capitalism is discussed. The changing life styles associated with post-materialistic society, which many commentators on social change see as typifying late twentieth century, is touched on only briefly and a rather traditional view of the social structure of late capitalism is presented. Onto this basic model of social change the patterns of urban evolution are mapped. A wide range of international examples are taken but there is a focus on west European and American urban society. The discussion of urbanism in Africa and Asia is somewhat limited to the influence of colonial powers and there is only minor reference to urban evolution in non- capitalist societies. Nonetheless, the early chapters provide a very valuable synthesis of a wide body of material and provide a frame- work for the analysis of the evolution of urban systems. Particular national urban systems may or may not fit into the framework but the broad model is most valuable, in a pedagogic sense, in presenting a framework in which urban change can be analysed. The second part of the book provides an overview of contemporary urbanisation and a series of more specific chapters on residential segregation, housing provision, non-residential land uses and the general management problems of the modern western city. The chapters provide a sound and provocative review of the major pro- cesses, both structural and spatial, operating within the city. The book overall is certainly one of the best buys for 1980 and should provide stimulating reading for geographers at all levels. The broad treatment of issues and concepts means that for the broad- er audience of non geographers City and Society is a good read. J.A.Dawson