Cities of Pleasure Sex and the Urban Socialscape [Hardcover]

This book contains a collection of cutting-edge chapters that explore various connections between urban living, sexuality and sexual desire around the world. The key themes featured address a number of topical issues including:

• the controversies and debates raging around the evolution, defining patterns and appropriate regulation of commercial sex zones and markets in the urban landscape
• how gay public spaces, districts and 'gay villages' emerged and developed in various towns and cities around the world
• how changing attitudes to, and the usage of urban sexual spaces, as depicted in iconic television series such as Sex and the Cityand Queer as Folk,reflect the reality of working women's or gay men's changing life experiences.

With detailed case studies, and a strong interdisciplinary appeal, this book will be a valuable reference for postgraduates and advanced students in the fields of cultural studies as well as human, urban and social geography.

This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal Urban Studies.

1. Sexuality and Sexual Services in the Urban Economy and Socialscape: An Overview Part 1: Commercial Sexual Spaces, Markets and Community Responses 2. Space, Risk and Opportunity: The Evolution of Paid Sex Markets 3. The Changing Nature of Adult Entertainment Districts: Between a Rock and a Hard Place or Going from Strength to Strength? 4. Cleansing the Metropolis: Sex Work and the Politics of Zero Tolerance 5. The Risks of Street Prostitution: Punters, Police and Protesters Part 2: Evolution and Development of Urban Gay Spaces 6. Homosexuality and the City: An Historical Overview 7. Urban Space and Homosexuality: The Example of the Marais, Paris' 'Gay Ghetto' 8. Where Love Dares (Not) Speak Its Name: The Expression of Homosexuality in Singapore 9. Sexual Dislã3