Armed with a rare combination of talents, and a clear understanding of retail, Jon Jerde has established himself not only as a hugely successful shopping and entertainment-centre architect but also as a veritable alchemist of the urban condition.

The Jerde Partnership International has transformed city centres worldwide and is hired by developers and city managers to analyse sites and improve the life of a designated street or neighbourhood. The firm devises site-specific, large-scale projects in order to stimulate social and economic regeneration.

This is the first ever monograph to examine thoroughly the Jerde phenomenon. 25 of the Jerde Partnership's most significant built and unbuilt projects illustrate how Jerde synthesizes commerce and public life in a way that will revolutionize the design of twenty-first-century cities. Critical essays are by architectural historian Margaret Crawford, cultural historian Norman M Klein, and architect Craig Hodges. Richly illustrated, and punctuated with Jerde's sketches and writings on his personal philosophy, the book reflects the complexity and exuberance of this influential body of work.