I begin with a brief rationale for the book. This needs to go beyond reasons for writing such as the clarification of my own ideas or publication of my own research. Those are both necessary motivations for the writer, but I hope the book will contribute to debates on urban issues during the first decade of the twenty-first century. In particular, I hope it will illuminate what certain kinds of cultural practices contribute, not only reflectively, but in actively shaping the agendas of future urban development and change
