"This book takes the unique housing typology of the Shanghai alleyway house and discusses its role in Shanghai life. Gregory Bracken examines the architecture and history of the alleyway house, its part in the city's cultural and social development, it's portrayal in Chinese film and literature and the future of this unique urban dwelling as Shanghai's rapid redevelopment threatens to destroy the alleyway house, and therefore a slice of Chinese architectural and cultural history, altogether"-- "Based on groundwork research, this book examines the Shanghai alleyway house in light of the complex history of the city, especially during the colonial era. It also explores the history of urban form (and governance) in China in order to question how the Eastern and Western traditions combined in Shanghai to produce a unique and dynamic housing typology. Construction techniques and different alleyway house sub-genres are also examined."--