The Evolution of Human Settlements From Pleistocene Origins to Anthr

This book analyzes the history and development of settlements—from the earliest periods in human history to the present day—from a Darwinian evolutionary perspective. At the foundation of the evolutionary model is the argument that the human capacity for

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FROM PLEISTOCENE ORIGINS TO ANTHROPOCENE PROSPECTS

The Evolution of Human Settlements

William M. Bowen · Robert E. Gleeson

The Evolution of Human Settlements From Pleistocene Origins to Anthropocene Prospects

William M. Bowen Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH, USA

Robert E. Gleeson Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH, USA

ISBN 978-3-319-95033-4 ISBN 978-3-319-95034-1  (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95034-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018946799 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover image: © Alexander Zelnitskiy/Alamy Stock Vector Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer International Publishing AG part of Springer Nature The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

Praise

for

The Evolution of Human Settlements

“Our future will be made or broken in cities. Understanding urbanization from an evolutionary, complex system perspective is essential for navigating our future successfully. This book is an essential guide for that journey.” —Will Steffen, Executive Director of the Australian National University’s Climate Change Institute “It is a delight to learn how Robert E. Gleeson and William M. Bowen deploy a fresh perspective on the data already known from the history of human settlement from the outset till today. They succeed in doing so by resorting to General System Theory going back to Ludwig von Bertalanffy, by combining it with insights from evolutionary theory of Darwinian origin and by factoring in human agency as being endowed with the ingenuity of mental models. The result is a big picture that surpasses competing approaches. It provides a timely explanation of core problems of the Anthropocene.” —Wolfgang Hofkirchner,