First Cities: Mohenjo-daro

Recommended Reading – First Cities: Planning Lessons for the 21st Century

First Cities: Planning Lessons for the 21st Century by Dean Saitta was published by Cambridge University Press on April 2nd, 2024. The publication examines international case studies of city building over a span of 9000 years. Most interestingly, the case studies are discussed from a perspective of how the knowledge we know about the past can contribute to shaping sustainable futures. Planning considerations, including agro-ecology, urban planning, population density, and urban governance, are distilled from the case studies.  First Cities provides an excellent example of how archaeological research can be a source of valuable information for future urban planning decisions. With IHOPE’s focus on integrating the past with a sustainable future, First Cities is a highly recommended read.

The publication is part of the Elements in Anthropological Archaeology in the 21st Century series. First Cities is available to read for free online until April 17th, 2024.

Dean Saitta is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Urban Studies program at the University of Denver.