In America alone, nearly 70 million people live in urban areas. Fortunately, cities offer as much variety in living spaces as the people who inhabit them young or old, single or family, super-rich or everyday Joe. Yet many of these unique dwellings, from walk-up studios to narrow brownstones to open lofts, present perplexing design challenges.

City Living takes readers to every corner of the world to explore some of the most creative and unique design approaches to city living. Paul Wiseman’s tiny San Francisco pad offers space-saving solutions for small apartments. A Krueck & Sexton designed childproof duplex in Chicago shows that style and kids can coexist. A London townhouse with dark, narrow rooms is creatively designed to change with the seasons. A New York designer’s cherry blossom-filled terrace brings gardening to high-rise living.

City dwellers the world over will find inventive ways to make their own cityscape both comfortable and beautiful.