MATTHEW TAUNTON has taught at University College London, Birkbeck College, Goldsmiths College, Central St Martins and the Open University, UK. His research interests lie in British and French literature from the nineteenth century to the present, urban studies, media history and film. His journalism appears in the New Statesman and the Times Literary Supplement.

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Haussman's Paris and the Immeuble The London Suburbs The Rise of the Parisian Banlieue The London Council Estate Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

'...seamlessly combining contemporary debates in urban planning...this book challenges the traditional conformity associated with the prevailing views on mass housing.' - The Times Literary Supplement '...[an] original and interesting book...this book makes an interesting contribution by combining urban studies with literature and cinema' - International Journal of Housing Policy