Spaces for Consumption

by Steven Miles

• ISBN13: 9781412946667
• ISBN10: 1412946662
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-10-05
• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd

Summary

This book offers an in-depth and sophisticated analysis of the processes that underpin the commodification of the city and explains the physical manifestation of consumerism as a way of life. Engaging directly with the social, economic, and cultural processes that have resulted in our cities being defined through consumption, this vibrant book clearly demonstrates the ways in which consumption has come to play a key role in the reinvention of the post-industrial city. The book provides a critical understanding of how consumption redefines the consumers' relationship to place using empirical examples and case studies to bring the issues to life. It discusses many of the key spaces and arenas in which this redefinition occurs including shopping, themed space, mega-events, and architecture.

Author Biography

Steven Miles is Professor of Urban Culture in the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The City of Complicity

The Individualised City

Creating Cities

Consuming Culture

Architectures of Consumption

Shopping for Dreams

The Spectacular Mega-Event

Themed Parks

Conclusion: Spaces for Consumption; Places of Experience

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