This book contains a collection of leading edge and accessible 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: (i) the controversies and debates raging around the evolution, defining patterns and appropriate regulation of commercial sex zones and markets in the urban landscape (ii) how have gay pubic spaces, districts and ‘gay villages’ emerged and developed in various towns and cities around the world? (iii) How do changing attitudes to and the usage of urban sexual spaces, as depicted in iconic television series such as Sex and the City and Queer as Folk, reflect the reality of working women’s or gay men’s changing life experiences? This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal Urban Studies. Alan Collins, University of Portsmouth Samuel Cameron, University of Bradford Andrew Ryder, University of Portsmouth Phil Hubbard, Loughborough University