Centenary paper: V. Gordon Childe and the urban revolution: A historical perspective on a revolution in urban studies

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Abstract

'The Urban Revolution' by V. Gordon Childe (Town Planning Review, 1950) is one of the most heavily cited papers ever published by an archaeologist. The intellectual context and influence of Childe's paper are examined here. Childe was the first to synthesise archaeological data with respect to the concept of urbanism, and the first to recognise the radical social transformation that came with the earliest cities and states. This paper traces the influence of his ideas and shows their relevance to studies of ancient urbanism today. Although Childe's treatment of urban planning was brief, his ideas presaged current research into ancient urban planning. The paper ends with a call for renewed interaction between scholars of ancient and modern urbanism.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3-29
Number of pages27
JournalTown Planning Review
Volume80
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Urban Studies

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