Cities Are Good for You with Leo Hollis & P.D. Smith
Cities are the greatest social experiment in human history, built for people, by the people. P.D. Smith and Leo Hollis, both experts on the modern metropolis, explore why cities can make us happier. Wondering the shantytowns, favelas, downtowns, eco-cities, and sacred sites of cities across the world, they peer into the future of the city.
Leo Hollis reveals the unexpected reasons living in a city can make us fitter, richer, smarter, greener, more creative and even happier. Hell discuss his new book,Cities Are Good for You:The Genius of the Metropolis, which upends long?held assumptions and challenges accepted wisdom. Hell explore why cities can never be rational, organised places; how we can walk in a crowd without bumping into people; whether we can design places that make people want to kiss; if we have the right solution to the problem of the slums; and how ants, slime mould and traffic jams can make us rethink congestion.
From Mumbai to Shanghai, Hollis is the perfect guide to the art, science and even maths of what makes cities so greatMarcus du Sautoy
P. D. Smith explores what it was like to live in the first cities, how they have evolved, and why in the future, cities will play an even greater role in human life. His book,City:A Guidebook for the Urban Age, is the ultimate guidebook to our urban centres and explores what cities are and how they work, drawing on a vast range of examples from across the world and throughout history.
A rich kaleidoscope celebrating urban life in all its aspects... Smiths book is at once a hugely enjoyable read and an inspiring vision to aim forSpectator
P. D. Smithis an independent researcher and writer. He has taught at University College London where he is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Science and Technology Studies Department and writes for theGuardian, the Times,Independentand theTimes Literary Supplement. His books includeDoomsday Men: The Real Dr Strangelove and theDream of the Superweapon.www.peterdsmith.com
Leo Hollisisa writer, historian and urbanist. He is the author of two books on the history of London:The Phoenix: The Men Who Made Modern LondonandThe Stones of London: A History Through Twelve Buildings. He writes regularly for theNew Statesman, theTLSand theDaily Telegraph.www.citiesaregoodforyou.com
Ticket Details
- Date: Thursday 13June
- Time: Drinks at 6pm and talk at 6.30pm
- Place: Bloomsbury Publishing, 50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP
- Cost: £10 / Students £6
Tickets can be booked online at www.bloomsburyinstitute.com
