Explores the transformation of the largest desert in North America, the Great Basin, into America's last urban frontier. The blooming of cities in a fragile desert region poses a host of environmental challenges. This book addresses a pressing question: are large cities ultimately sustainable in such a fragile environment?

Dennis R. Judd is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has published numerous books, including City Politics: The Political Economy of Urban America.

Stephanie L. Witt is a professor of public policy and administration at Boise State University. Her publications include Urban West: Governing Cities in Uncertain Times, coauthored with James B. Weatherby.