Abstract
According to Weber, the European city constitutes a unique urban type: It is a political city where new forms of citizenship come to life, distinguishing it right away from the “apolitical” oriental counterpart. Despite criticism leveled against a view judged to be Eurocentric, cities in Europe have to date preserved their specific nature: the weight of history, the ability to integrate and have social cohesion, the density of inhabitants, and the planning of growth – even if the challenges set by globalization are questioning these hallmarks. New “American” urban models are emerging – characterized by spatial dispersion and social polarization – that are competing with the European model. For the moment, it is difficult to tell whether the European city will be able to resist this challenge and actualize its myth, by launching itself once again as an original type of social and spatial organization.