Cites are growing at an enormous rate all over the world. As they wrestle with overcrowding, pollution, resource vulnerability and an increasing gulf between the rich and poor what will be the dominant factor which defines them?
What the forces shape the experience of urban life for the individual and will our imagination and creativity enable cities survive into the future? The sociologist Sophie Watson and the geographer Matthew Gandy join Laurie Taylor to discuss the future of the city.
Also, the taboo of the body in the cemetery. Kate Woodthorpe reveals her research into what remains unmentionable at the graveside.
This edition of Thinking Allowed is a co-production between the BBC and The Open University. You can hear it on BBC Radio 4 at 4pm on Wednesday 18th May, 2011 and again at a quarter past midnight on Monday morning, 23rd May. Further broadcast details, podcast and listen again links are at bbc.co.uk.
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Navigating cities: Urban life in the 21st Century
Ewan-M under CC-BY-NC-ND licence
More people than ever before are coming to live in cities. How do we cope sharing relatively small urban areas with a diverse range of... Read more : Navigating cities: Urban life in the 21st Century
Mapping the city, taming the city
jntolva under CC-BY-NC-SA licence
As people come to live in urban spaces, how do they come to terms with their surroundings? Gillian Rose explains some of the ways we... Read more : Mapping the city, taming the city
Security and the city
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In this extract adapted from course materials for The Open University course Making social worlds, Sophie Watson explains how the development of cities has always... Read more : Security and the city
Death and dying: Talking death
BBC
Richard Wilson, a funeral director and a crematorium designer are just some of our experts talking death. Read more : Death and dying: Talking death
More Thinking Allowed
OU on the BBC: Thinking Allowed
Updated content
BBC
Thinking Allowed puts the focus on the latest thinking about how society works. Read exclusive academic insights every week as each show airs Read more : OU on the BBC: Thinking Allowed
Welcome to Thinking Allowed with The Open University
BBC
Professor Laurie Taylor welcomes Thinking Allowed listeners to OpenLearn. Read more : Welcome to Thinking Allowed with The Open University
Why is The Open University Thinking Allowed?
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Wendy Maples explains why she's delighted that The Open University is continuing its relationship with Radio 4's exploration of the social sciences. Read more : Why is The Open University Thinking Allowed?
OU on the BBC: Thinking Allowed - About the series
BBC
Thinking Allowed, the long-running BBC Radio 4 series, is teaming up for a series of specials with the Open University Read more : OU on the BBC: Thinking Allowed - About the series
Thinking Allowed From bbc.co.uk
BBC
Listen again – and explore more deeply – with Thinking Allowed on BBC Radio 4. Read more : Thinking Allowed From bbc.co.uk
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