The book (294p., 14 new maps and 25 ill.) chronicles the transformation that London and Paris experienced during the 19th century through the lens of urban transport infrastructure. It challenges and refines two of the most dominant myths of urban modernity: a planned Paris and an unplanned London. Drawing together an extensive corpus of primary sources, many brought to light for the first time, the book provides new insights into the relationship between transport technologies and urban change, in particular the role of metropolitan railways in envisioning the future of cities in the long 19th century, of continued relevance today.