Offers an archeological perspective on the history of cities from antiquity to present day, detailing why cities began and the distinctive qualities that make them responsible for the growth of civilization and global economies.

"This collection of poetry offers voice to the unsung people of a small city in the Southwest"--Provided by publisher.

When seventeen-year-old Kit visits her father's hometown for the first time following his death, she not only discovers that her family is strangely revered among the locals, but that she also has an important role in the town's future. Kit's father always told her he had no family, but his sudden death revealed the truth. Now she has a grandmother she never knew she had-- Agatha Starling-- and an invitation to visit her father's hometown, Rosemont....

"Every major American city has a highway tearing through its center. Seventy years ago, planners sold these highways as progress, essential to our future prosperity. The automobile promised freedom, and highways were going to take us there. Instead, they divided cities, displaced people from their homes, chained us to our cars, and locked us into a high-emissions future. And the more highways we built, the worse traffic got. Nowhere is this more visible...