This volume investigates whether the compact city model, originally developed for Western urban centers, can be effectively adapted to address the unique sustainability challenges facing rapidly growing cities in developing nations. Mike Jenks, a prominent scholar in sustainable urban form, curates a collection of academic papers that evaluate the practical application of high-density urban planning. By synthesizing research from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the text provides a critical framework for assessing how urban density influences social, economic, and environmental outcomes in non-Western contexts.

Experts identify this work as a critical expansion of the foundational discourse on sustainable urbanism. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a primary resource for urban planners and researchers focusing on global development.