Megalopolises designed in the third millennium, or metropolises marked by the many contradictions of modern development. Historic cities with a wealth of monuments or urban models still surrounded by wild nature. Today the cities of the five continents are the environment in which the majority of the planet's population is concentrated. Every city has its own style, its own model of life, its own horizon of reference, whether these are soaring skyscrapers, gothic spires, or endless residential neighborhoods. This volume and the splendid photographs accompanying it give an original and unusual view of the diverse forms and interpretations made for the inhabitable urban space, by architects, engineers, administrators, and simple inhabitants. AUTHOR: Federica Romagnoli graduated in Chinese Language and Literature from Venice's "Ca' Foscari" University in 1989. After several trips and periods of study spent in China, in 1995 she was awarded a PhD in History of Indian and Eastern Asian Art, thanks to her thesis on the history of Chinese pottery, a subject on which she has held university courses, given lectures and conference presentations. She has been a contributor to White Star since 2001, working on numerous publications, including several volumes about the Orient: L'altro Vietnam (2002), China Through the Eyes of the West. From Marco Polo to the Last Emperor (2003), Zheng He: Tracing the Epic Voyages of China's Greatest Explorer (2006), and China from Above (2007). For White Star she has written China. The Kingdom of the Dragon (2005, with Gianni Guadalupi and Marco Moretti), and China. History and Treasure of an Ancient Civilization (2008, with Stefania Stafutti). 280 colour photographs
