Going on sale this week is a new book edited by London School of Economics professor Richard (Ricky) Burdett and Deyan Sudjic, director of London’s Design Museum, entitled “The Endless City”. The book consists of essays by urban planners and specialists examining the similarities and contrasts in the growth of six major world cities: New York, London, Shanghai, Mexico City, Johannesburg and Berlin.

Writing in yesterday’s Manchester Guardian, Sudjic considers the pressures on modern cities; 50% of the world’s population now lives in metropolitan areas, and by the middle of this century that number will rise to 75%. He also speaks in this podcast in Newsweek’s series on innovation.

From the descriptions, the book sounds a bit more aimed at the serious academic community than a popular audience, but would undoubtedly be interesting reading for anyone who has an interest. The Guardian piece seems like a good top-level summary if you just want the basic idea of it.