Book excerpt: Architects and urban planners need to describe cities in the course of their work, be it through maps, diagrams, sketches, computer renderings or models. Drawing for Urban Design explores a wide range of ways to represent the city, from freehand sketching to sophisticated computer models. The book provides a practical introduction to these techniques for students while explaining the processes associated with describing and designing urban environments – it is an invaluable visual handbook for representing the contemporary city.