Magnetic City by Justin Davidson is an exploration of New York City’s history, culture, and architecture, blending personal anecdotes with a broader narrative about the city’s evolution.

Kyoto: An Urban History of Japan’s Premodern Capital by Matthew Stavros examines the development of Kyoto from its foundation as Japan’s capital in 794 to its transformation into a cultural and political center. Stavros uses archaeological evidence and historical texts to explore how the city’s urban design, religious institutions, and aristocratic power shaped its growth and identity. 

Robert Caro’s The Power Broker reveals Robert Moses as the most powerful man in New York during his time, shaping the city’s landscape and political power structures.

In Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City, Ben Wilson explores how modern cities can reestablish their connection with nature and become self-sustaining ecosystems.

Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb

Triumph of the City by Edward Glaeser

Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone by Eric Klinenberg

Cosmopolitan Culture by Bonnie Menes Kahn

The Option of Urbanism by Christopher B. Leinberger

Retrofitting Suburbia by Ellen Dunham-Jones

Cities and the Wealth of Nations by Jane Jacobs