Cities are facing enormous challenges, with rapidly growing urban populations, often worsening environmental conditions and deteriorating infrastructure, inequalities and housing shortages, unemployment, crime and violence. Yet they are the main drivers of cultural and economic development with the most concentrated resources and potential. This book, from the world's leading research institute on cities, looks at how that potential can be used to address these problems and create dynamic, multicultural and inclusive urban cultures. It lays out the conditions for a new culture of planning, involving civil society as well as public authorities, to ensure participation of even the most marginalized sectors. With extensive examples and illustrations with contributions from many of the world's leading urban scholars, it will be essential reading for professionals, and ideal material for course on urban geography and social science.