Book description
We live in a world defined by urbanization and digital ubiquity, where mobile broadband connections outnumber fixed ones, machines dominate a new "internet of things," and more people live in cities than in the countryside.
In Smart Cities, urbanist and technology expert Anthony Townsend takes a broad historical look at…
Why read it?
1 author picked Smart Cities as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Cities are not just concrete and steel anymore—they’re becoming living systems pulsing with data and possibility. Townsend’s book is a hopeful story of how hackers, planners, and dreamers redesign our urban spaces to merge bits and atoms toward building smarter, more connected communities.
This book highlights the positive potential of technology to serve the people who live and work within the most complex structures humans have ever built, enhancing the quality of life and fostering more inclusive urban spaces. At the same time, it does not shy away from addressing the challenges and ethical concerns these innovations present. This book…
From Bill's list on The best books that connect the digital and the physical.
If you love Smart Cities...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like Smart Cities?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Smart Cities.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
165
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Smart Cities, you might also like...
The Tao of Poison
A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.
The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…
Big Ideas... For Small Businesses
Big Ideas… for Small Businesses is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guide to growing a small business without sacrificing your lifestyle. Written by a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, the book challenges hustle culture and instead champions the idea of an "ambitious lifestyle business" - one that provides freedom and financial stability,…
