For about 500,000 years, humans have lived on Earth. For approximately 5,000 years, they have also lived in cities. The diversity of urban living spaces reflects both the cultural achievements of humanity and societal challenges. From early forms of settlement, ancient China, the Greek and Roman empires, Islamic cities, Europe, the Middle Ages, to modern times - all of this is found in this magnificent volume. The author outlines the essential types of cities from various eras and cultural spheres and illustrates their transformation over centuries. Not least, the many details with which Benevolo depicts life and spirit in the cities make reading a pleasure. A classic of Western cultural history.