Synopses & Reviews
The transition from feudalism to capitalism has occurred in many different ways and the variety of forms and methods of this transition is particularly evident in Southern Europe. Focusing on Greater Athens between 1948 and 1981--the crucial period of transition--the author explores the role of social classes in urban development in the cities of Mediterranean Europe. Based on extensive research, the book presents for the first time a history of the Greek urban popular classes during the twentieth century. The author challenges urban growth models based on the Anglo-American experience and convincingly presents her own theoretical framework combining economic and ecological considerations with Gramsci's theories of culture, spontaneity, and informality.
Synopsis
Postwar capitalist development has involved a transition from polarization toward diffuse urbanization and flexibility. The timing and form of this transition and its effects on spatial structures have varied, as is especially evident in the case of Mediterranean Europe. Focusing upon Greater Athens between 1948 and 1981 - the crucial period of the transition - Lila Leontidou explores the role of social classes in urban development.
Synopsis
The transition from feudalism to capitalism has occurred in many different ways and the variety of forms and methods of this transition is particularly evident in Southern Europe. Focusing on Greater Athens between 1948 and 1981--the crucial period of transition--the author explores the role of social classes in urban development in the cities of Mediterranean Europe. Based on extensive research, the book presents for the first time a history of the Greek urban popular classes during the twentieth century. The author challenges urban growth models based on the Anglo-American experience and convincingly presents her own theoretical framework combining economic and ecological considerations with Gramsci's theories of culture, spontaneity, and informality.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 272-290) and index.
Table of Contents
List of figures; List of tables; Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Spontaneous urban development: in search of a theory for the Mediterranean city; 2. Cities of silence: Athens and Piraeus in the early twentieth century; 3. The Greek 'economic miracle' and the hidden proletariat; 4. The 'golden period' of spontaneous urban development, 1950'"67; 5. Industrial restructuring versus the cities; 6. The end of spontaneity in urban development; 7. Athens and the uniqueness of urban development in Mediterranean Europe; References; Index.