Christof Parnreiter is Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Hamburg and an Associate Director of the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. His books include Global City Makers (2018) (with Michael Hoyler and Allan Watson).
Parnreiter presents an urgent corrective lens to pierce the proliferating facades of urban recreation to reveal the grim state of nations. Whether this is caused by cities is a question Parnreiter explores. This vista should inform the nascent discourse about making new cities that are neither shanty towns nor gleaming bunkers. -- Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University Just as the idea of the “triumph” of the city and the driving force of agglomeration economies has become hegemonic, Christof Parnreiter reminds us of the important counterpoint of the city’s dark side. This is required reading for those that want to know what the “urban age” is really about. -- Michiel van Meeteren, Assistant Professor in Human Geography, Utrecht University Cities are inherently complex. The development of cities never creates simple outcomes. These truisms are often missing from recent studies of contemporary urbanization. Parnreiter provides a convincing, and very necessary, corrective to laudatory promotions of cities today. -- Peter J. Taylor, Director of Globalisation and World Cities (GaWC) research network