Organized around an integrated paradigmthe sociospatial perspectivethe fourth edition of this breakthrough text considers the impact of social factors such as race, class, gender, lifestyle, economics, culture, and politics on the development of metropolitan areas. Moving beyond the traditional citysuburb dichotomy, The New Urban Sociology provides a unique focus on the continuously changing nature of metropolitan regions. It integrates the social ecological with the political economy paradigm through a fresh theoretical approach emphasizing the importance of space to social life and real estate to the economy and urban development. This fully revised edition features a new chapter on metropolitan social policy and expanded discussions of international regions, key concepts, and the effect of the economic crisis on housing markets, public policy, and urban development.