Best Sociology of Urban Areas Books of 2025

Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar is an eye-opening investigation into the influence of parking on modern American life. Grabar takes readers on a journey through the history, politics, and absurdity of the nation's parking crisis, ultimately questioning whether it's really the best use of our finite resources and space. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental economics and the impact of car culture on our cities and society.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, written by Matthew Desmond, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book that follows the stories of eight families in Milwaukee as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads. The book offers a wrenching and revelatory account of the centrality of home and how its absence can lead to poverty and economic exploitation. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the devastating problem of poverty in twenty-first-century America. Overall, this book is a heart-wrenching and eye-opening account of the realities of poverty and eviction, and it offers fresh ideas for solving this problem.

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography that reveals the story of Robert Moses, the most powerful man in New York City and State during the 20th century. The book provides a multidimensional portrait of Moses, showcasing his rise to power and his impact on the city's landscape, including the creation of parks and highways, as well as the failures of public housing. This book offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of politics and how power can shape a city and the lives of millions of people.

The Phoenix Economy by Felix Salmon is an insightful analysis of the transformative years of the early 2020s, exploring the positive ramifications of the pandemic years. The book is divided into three parts, examining the critical aspects of our lives that have been transformed: Time and Space, Mind and Body, and Business and Pleasure. Salmon's clear-eyed perspective on human and economic events, combined with his considerable analytical and observational skills, makes this an essential read for anyone wanting a better understanding of the near- and long-term effects of this new era. Overall, The Phoenix Economy is a refreshing, thoughtful, and witty look into what's changed and what's ahead.

The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a groundbreaking work that provides a framework for assessing the vitality of cities. Jane Jacobs' prose is outstandingly immediate as she writes about what makes streets safe or unsafe, the role of neighborhoods in the larger organism of the city, and the dangers of too much development money and too little diversity. This book has become the standard against which all endeavors in urban planning are measured. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of our cities and how we can create vibrant, diverse, and safe neighborhoods.

San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities is a thought-provoking book that exposes the failure of progressive policies in solving problems related to homelessness, inequality, and crime. Author Michael Shellenberger, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area for 30 years, offers a fresh perspective on the issue of homelessness, revealing that it's not solely a housing or financial problem, but rather an ideological one. Shellenberger's proposed solutions are both practical and humane, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in the future of our cities. Overall, San Fransicko is a well-written and informative book that challenges conventional wisdom and offers a new way of thinking about urban issues.

Homelessness Is a Housing Problem by Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern is an essential analysis of the root causes of homelessness in cities across the United States. The authors shift the focus from the individual experiencing homelessness to the metropolitan area, testing various beliefs about what drives the prevalence of homelessness in a given city. Through accessible statistical analysis, they find that housing market conditions, such as the cost and availability of rental housing, offer a far more convincing account. The book offers rigorous policy solutions for unique regional contexts, making it a must-read for anyone interested in advocating for affordable housing.

This 10th anniversary edition of the beloved #1 New York Times bestseller includes a new introduction and afterword by the author. Chronicling the lifelong friendship between a busy sales executive and a disadvantaged young boy that began with one small gesture of kindness, this is a “ray of hope for a better future, as well as an assurance that love is a stronger force than injustice and inequality” (Sybrina Fulton, mother of Travyon Martin and coauthor of Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin).. Stopping was never part of the plan... She was a successful ad sales rep in Manhattan. He was a homeless, eleven-year-old panhandler on the street. He asked for spare change; she kept walking. But then something stopped her in her tracks, and she went back. And she continued to go back, again and again. They met up nearly every week for years and built an unexpected, life-changing friendship that has today spanned almost three decades. Whatever made me notice him on that street corner so many years ago is clearly something that cannot be extinguished, no matter how relentless the forces aligned against it. Some may call it spirit. Some may call it heart. It drew me to him, as if we were bound by some invisible, unbreakable thread. And whatever it is, it binds us still.​ Now with new material that brings the life-changing story up to date for its tenth anniversary, An Invisible Thread is “a book capable of restoring our faith in each other and in the very idea that maybe everything is going to be okay after all” (Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay It Forward).

The Cross and the Switchblade, written by David Wilkerson, is a true story about a small town preacher who moved to New York City to help troubled teenagers get free of drugs and crime. The book tells the inspiring story of how David founded an inner-city ministry called Teen Challenge, which has changed the lives of thousands of teenagers. It is a Christian inspirational book that teaches the power of faith and the importance of helping others. The book is a great read for anyone who is looking for inspiration and motivation to make a difference in the world.

The City Authentic by David A. Banks explores how cities are using social media influencers and reality-TV stars to appeal to modern desires for authentic urban living. Focusing on New York State’s Capital Region, Banks argues that the markers of urban decay translate into signs of authenticity online, driving economic growth. This engaging study blends urban sociology with media and cultural studies to offer a lively account of how urban development is changing in the twenty-first century. The City Authentic is a must-read for those interested in urban planning and development, offering a unique perspective on the attention economy and its impact on our cities.