Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This work is a comprehensive introduction to a new type of city, a largely invisible but increasingly important system of virtual spaces interconnected by the emerging information superhighway. William Mitchell makes extensive use of concrete, practical examples and illustrations in a technically well-grounded yet accessible examination of architecture and urbanism in the context of the digital telecommunications revolution, the ongoing miniaturization of electronics, the commodification of bits and the growing domination of software over materialized form.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Digital technology is turning traditional architectural theory and planning upside down, contends Mitchell, who teaches architecture and media arts at MIT. In this rigorous, highly engaging study, he charts both the architecture of cyberspace and the transformation of buildings and living space in the information age. Examining a wide range of digital phenomena, such as the Internet, encryption tools, the major online services and virtual reality, he explains that the architectural paradigms put forth by civic planners and critics, from Aristotle to Baron Haussmann and Lewis Mumford, do not apply to cyberspace. Mitchell argues that online communities, transcending geographic boundaries and social contexts, offer new ways of thinking about urban design, private and public space, the separation of work and home life and personal identity. In more speculative chapters, he walks us through the changes in civic institutions such as libraries, hospitals, museums, banks and bookstores, changes made possible by computer technology. Complete with architectural blueprints, illustrations of digital gadgetry and an index of related Internet ``surf sites,'' this is a particularly clever and evocative look at the ``soft cities'' of the 21st century. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Mitchell here celebrates the Internet and its potential to evolve into a cyberspace. From the vantage point of an expert in architectural design, he explores the transmutation of virtually every aspect of life in industrialized countries into its counterpart in the "City of Bits." In the chapter "Recombinant Architecture," he envisions the digital analog of nearly all city structures, from banks to hospitals, theaters, and prisons. The extent of his vision shows in his preference for a virtual museum of digital images of art works, to an art gallery. "Soft Cities" skillfully traces the evolution of networks from ARPANET to the World Wide Web, touching on topics such as bulletin boards, Multi-User Dungeons, encryption, and the lure of Mosaic. "Bit Biz" explores the impact that the "infobahn" will have on economics, politics, privacy, and larger societal issues. In "Getting to the Good Bits," the author muses about the promises and dangers that the future holds for cyberspace. Throughout, the exercise and abuse of power by programmers, operators, and hackers receive attention. Copious notes and "Surf Sites," a guide to Internet nodes, conclude this charming work. General; lower-division undergraduate; professional; two-year technical program students. J. Mayer; Lebanon Valley College