Abstract

Life in cities involves political and economic activities and forces that may be independent of a city’s urban functions. Which aspects of urban society are created by authorities, and which aspects are generated by the bottom-up actions of residents? I then explore crafts and markets as features affecting economic life in cities. Two of the major social institutions in cities are neighborhoods and wealth inequality. Studies of non-urban and semi-urban settlements give insights into these and other aspects of urban social life.

Lecture 5 in a series of lectures with the general topic: Cities Before the Modern Era: Population, Functions and Urban Life.