Resume
Summary Urban History notes - 2024
- Cours
- Urban History
- Établissement
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
These are my notes from all the classes of Urban History in 2024. I was present in all the classes.
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Aperçu du contenu
Urban History1 - Introduction...................................................................................2
1. Why study urban history?............................................................................... 2
2. What defines a city?........................................................................................ 3
3. The history of urbanisation............................................................................. 4
4. This course...................................................................................................... 4
2 - The emergence of cities.................................................................5
1. Early cities in world history............................................................................. 5
2. Vere Gordon Childe......................................................................................... 7
3. Ancient Mesopotamia...................................................................................... 8
4. Debating the early city.................................................................................... 9
3 - The economic role of premodern cities..........................................10
1. What is economic growth?............................................................................ 10
2. 3 key debates in urban history......................................................................12
3. Economic role of premodern cities................................................................15
4 - The industrial city........................................................................16
1. Industrialisation and urbanisation.................................................................16
2. Social polarisation in the industrial city........................................................17
3. From places of production to places of consumption....................................18
4. Conclusion..................................................................................................... 21
5 – Cities in flux: demography and migration......................................21
1. Demographic dimensions.............................................................................. 21
2. Patterns of migration.................................................................................... 22
3. Urban migration regulation...........................................................................25
6 - Political community......................................................................27
1. Introduction................................................................................................... 27
2. Urban autonomy........................................................................................... 27
3. Urban governance......................................................................................... 29
4. Contentious politics....................................................................................... 30
5. Citizenship.................................................................................................... 31
7 – The Leisure City...........................................................................32
1. Introduction: Bath & the urban renaissance..................................................32
2. Theoretical framework.................................................................................. 33
3. The Rise of Fashion & Consumerism.............................................................34
1
, 4. Cosmopolitan life.......................................................................................... 35
8 – Segregation.................................................................................36
1. Mixed appreciation........................................................................................ 36
2. Preindustrial cities......................................................................................... 37
3. Urban reorganization in 19C Europe.............................................................40
9 - Urban environmental history.........................................................42
1. Urban Environmental history: city and/vs nature..........................................42
2. Water, health and disease in the city............................................................43
3. Urban disasters............................................................................................. 46
4. Conclusion..................................................................................................... 49
1 - Introduction
1. Why study urban history?
What is the historical relevance of studying cities as a historical phenomenon?
1. Cities played a key role in human history (f.e. in the first civilisations).
Processes of historical change have changed human society (f.e. social
differentiation, commercial exchange, religion). Cities are therefore important to
study historical change.
2. Urban history is also relevant outside of history. There was an exceptional
increase in urbanisation in the past 2 centuries. In preindustrial cities
10-12% of the population was living in cities (urban concentration). This ceiling of
12% was shattered in the industrial revolution in 18-19 th century (with population
explosion). Now the majority of the world lives in cities, we crossed 50% recently.
This is unprecedented which makes room for new opportunities.
Preindustrial 10-12%
era
Europe in 40%
1900
Europe in 72%
2000
World in 2010 >50%
3. This goes hand in hand with recent problems & challenges (f.e. increasing
inequality).
We have a new way of life, where urban life is dominant. Nonetheless, we can
gain perspective from the people who lived before!
2
,2. What defines a city?
The concept of “city” is used in different contexts, f.e. cities called themselves
“cities” to get the urban rights in the middle ages in the low countries (not
England). The interpretation depends on the region and culture (f.e. in China the
administration is central). A “city” is difficult to define.
We can look at the concentration of a number of people, but that makes
problems: what is the limit? And where does the bandwidth end (f.e. city walls)?
There is also an aspect of interconnectivity, because people in cities are not in
agriculture, so they rely on the outside for food. Statistics usually rely on the
national definition of a city: this is a defensible strategy, but pragmatic.
This means that the concept has something to do with density and proximity
(people living closeby). Because of this proximity, land is not used for agriculture.
This requires provisioning of food, which means that conditions need to be
fulfilled for a city to work (food surplus + transport).
Implications for cities:
- Provisioning (see above)
- costs f.e. sanitary infrastructure
- benefits that need to offset the costs f.e. security, transportation
possibilities, community building
- challenges f.e. logistic: networks have to be in place, housing
This means that cities require a form of political organisation to function.
By living together on a concentrated area, we create a different situation than
elsewhere: we cannot define it but it differs from other forms of living. We want
to talk about urbanity, but often we only have proxy’s f.e. population figures.
Certainly Manchester is the most wonderful city of modern times” - Disraeli,
Coningsby, 1844
“London, where a man may wonder for hours (...) this colossal centralization (...)
has raised London to the commercial capital ofthe world (...) all this is so vast, so
impressive. (...) But the sacrifices become apparent later (...) The brutal
indifference, the unfeeling isolation of each (...) where the powerful few (...) seize
everything for themselves, while to the weak many (...) scarcely a bare existence
remains.” - Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England, 1845
“here roughs, gamblers, thieves, robbers, lawless and desperate men of all sorts
congregate ... scepticism and irreligion abound ... unequality is greatest ...
suffering the sorest” - Rd. Josiah Strong, 1885
We see a negative sentiment of cities in 19 th century (f.e. thieves), but also an
enormous capacity for expansion in cities. They have a mixed appreciation b/o
negative connotations (high living costs, criminality, absence of social bonds, …) ,
but also an association with modernity (regarded in discourse as the start of
historical change).
This is a phenomenon that is recognisable in different contexts (even though we
cannot define it). There is something intrinsically ‘urban’.
3
, 3. The history of urbanisation
3.1 No gradual evolution
There are long term indications of an increase in urbanisation, but it was not a
gradual process. The dynamic stabilises in some areas and increases in others.
There is a longterm tendency of a growing urban experience, but not a simple
gradual evolution.
The percent of people living in cities is not linear.
3.2 Ups and downs
! The total population of people living in cities is even more volatile due to
geographical shifts (ups and downs for each city is different). The socio-economic
and political situations differ in each city. Cordoba was part of the kalifate, so it
had a very strong urban culture. Paris grew in the Reconquista in 1500. London
only grew in 1800 because of the British monarchy.
1000 1500 1800
Cordoba 500 27 40
Paris 20 100 580
London 20 40 870
! Even within countries there are ups and downs between different cities. They
are shaped by broader historical processes (f.e. Reconquista). We also have to
reflect on the ways that cities influence historical processes. The dynamics of
cities also contributed to historical change (f.e. French Revolution).
4. This course
4.1 A problem-oriented approach
We will take a problem-oriented approach: what are the interactions between
cities and historical change? How was urbanisation stimulated by dynamics of
historical change? And how was urbanity a force of historical change? (generating
new ideas)
4
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