The Cultures of Cities

When Lewis Mumford wrote his now-classic The Culture of Cities in 1934, it could safely be assumed that "culture" was an epiphenomenon that sprung organically from the activities of the people of a city. Zurkin builds upon Mumford's arguments for a late 20th-century reinterpretation, discussing the ways in which cities' cultures are increasingly the product of complex negotiations between ethnic groups, artistic and architectural elites, and multinational purveyors of canned culture. Her chapters dealing with the effects of Disneyland on urban planning, the creation of a "cultural center" in the rural Berkshires, and the nature of shopping in urban settings are particularly intriguing. Her primary concern is how economic elites gain the upper hand in representation as the culture of a city: in her view, culture is, increasingly, a consciously synthesized mirage optimized for economic gain. Recommended.