IELTSwithJurabek

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Book Review: Cities Are Good for You by Leo Hollis

A Don't let that seductive 99p deceive you - with Leo Hollis's Cities Are Good for You you're definitely getting seventeen pounds' worth of book; 17 pounds, and possibly somewhere approaching 17lbs as well, because this is a hefty tome, not quite lavishly tooled enough for the coffee table, but not entirely a comfortable proposition when lying abed. Which rather raises the question, who exactly is it aimed at? People who see the city as a backdrop of fashion plates against which they can strike physical and intellectual attitudes, or those for whom urbanism is just another wanky trend? Several years ago the world reached a tipping point, and for the first time in history more people were urban than rural inhabitants, and this demographic shift is increasingly reflected in the cultural superstructure: there are increasing numbers of books, films and TV and radio programmes about the city.

B Hollis's is a reasonably efficient solution to the genre - a comprehensive overview of the state of the city and contemporary thinking in urbanism. He begins and ends his tale - which takes the form of an extended multi-city-break - with musings occasioned by Manhattan's High Line park, the curiously liminal green space established on the derelict elevated railway line that runs down the Lower West Side. In between, Hollis travels through time, giving a highly partisan and select history of urban theory and town planning; and through space, hopping from the US to Bangalore and Mumbai, to Shanghai, to Songdo in South Korea, Santiago in Chile and Bogota in Colombia, then back home to his own Meridian on the outskirts of London for a little rest and reflection.

C Hollis argues passionately for the city as an engine of human creativity, innovation, and social progress. He contends that, despite problems of inequality, pollution, and congestion, cities are fundamentally beneficial because they concentrate talent, foster collaboration, and accelerate the exchange of ideas. He examines case studies like the transformation of Bogota under Mayor Enrique Penalosa, who prioritized public transport and public space over cars, and the planned smart city of Songdo, built from scratch with ubiquitous digital technology. These examples serve to illustrate his thesis that cities can be designed or retrofitted to improve quality of life.

D However, the reviewer notes that Hollis's optimism, while engaging, sometimes glosses over the deep-seated challenges of urban living. The book celebrates successful interventions but may underplay the difficulties of scaling such solutions or addressing systemic issues like housing affordability and social segregation. Its global tour, while informative, can feel somewhat superficial, skimming the surface of complex local contexts. Ultimately, Cities Are Good for You is a spirited and accessible introduction to urban optimism. It is likely to appeal to the general reader with an interest in cities and planning, offering a hopeful, if occasionally simplistic, vision of the urban future. It may frustrate academic specialists seeking deeper analysis, but succeeds in making a compelling case for why cities matter.