This collection is a unique blend of analyses by urban scholars and specialists in communication. The contributors remind us that the narrative construction of the city is a constantly changing process with powerful consequences.

Dennis R. Judd, University of Illinois, Chicago; coauthor, City Politics: The Political Economy of Urban America; coeditor, American Urban Polit

The city is a dynamic space and place in transition, shaped and reshaped by the convergence of communication technology. Urban Communication makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the dynamics and importance of the city. It is a critical time for the city as the economic reconfiguration of the urban/suburban landscape occurs. It is a crucial time as the needs and values of a population in flux are being reshaped. The challenge is to design and integrate the contemporary city keeping in mind both economic vitality and quality of life issues. Gibson and Lowes's anthology signifies another step in the maturation of urban communication as a discipline.

Gary Gumpert, president, the Urban Communication Foundation

Recommended.

Choice Reviews

Bridging communication studies and urban studies from a critical studies approach takes the growing field of urban communication in new directions. In so doing this volume addresses issues of the relationship between the 'sense of place' and 'image of place.' What do communication scholars have to bring to the table in understanding and improving the urban environment? This volume shows the answer to that question?a great deal! The study of urban communication is based on the notion that cities are inherently places of and products of communication. The city has long been ignored, or at best marginalized, in communication studies. There are fundamental questions of communication facing cities, suburbs, and exurbs today. This volume makes asignificant contribution, inviting communication scholars to consider how their own research can inform our understanding of urban dilemmas. Further, it invites community leaders to consider the relevance and value of communication research..

Susan Drucker, Hofstra University; co-editor, Voices in the Street: Explorations in Gender, Media, and Public Space

Bridging communication studies and urban studies from a critical studies approach takes the growing field of urban communication in new directions. In so doing this volume addresses issues of the relationship between the 'sense of place' and 'image of place.' What do communication scholars have to bring to the table in understanding and improving the urban environment? This volume shows the answer to that question-a great deal! The study of urban communication is based on the notion that cities are inherently places of and products of communication. The city has long been ignored, or at best marginalized, in communication studies. There are fundamental questions of communication facing cities, suburbs, and exurbs today. This volume makes a significant contribution, inviting communication scholars to consider how their own research can inform our understanding of urban dilemmas. Further, it invites community leaders to consider the relevance and value of communication research.

Susan Drucker, Hofstra University; co-editor, Voices in the Street: Explorations in Gender, Media, and Public Space