Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier

Edward Glaeser

Feb 2011 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Shortlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Best Book of the Year Award in 2011

“A masterpiece.” —Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics

“Bursting with insights.” —The New York Times Book Review

A pioneering urban economist presents a myth-shattering look at the majesty and greatness of cities

America is an urban nation, yet cities get a bad rap: they're dirty, poor, unhealthy, environmentally unfriendly . . . or are they? In this revelatory book, Edward Glaeser, a leading urban economist, declares that cities are actually the healthiest, greenest, and richest (in both cultural and economic terms) places to live. He travels through history and around the globe to reveal the hidden workings of cities and how they bring out the best in humankind. Using intrepid reportage, keen analysis, and cogent argument, Glaeser makes an urgent, eloquent case for the city's importance and splendor, offering inspiring proof that the city is humanity's greatest creation and our best hope for the future.

Ratings and reviews

Makes many good arguments in favor of attracting people back to the cities. I like his idea of density creating an environment for collaboration, like in Paris or Florence. Chicago has come a long way to create this kind of atmosphere, but like many large cities, fails to incentivize people to stay. (If you want to make Chicago truly Parisian, you have to make it affordable for artists to have studios. Wicker Park in Chicago used to have this kind of vibe, but since people are attracted to the idea of living in a boho community, the artists always get pushed out, and sometimes back in with parents in the suburbs...)

nothing now

About the author

Edward L. Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University. He studies the economics of cities, housing, segregation, obesity, crime, innovation and other subjects, and writes about many of these issues for Economix. He serves as the director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston. He is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1992.