General background sources

Dictionaries

• The Dictionary of urbanism [print]
• The language of cities: a glossary of terms [print]
• The language of towns and cities: A visual dictionary [print]

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia of the city
• Encyclopedia of urban studies [online or print]
• International encyclopedia of human geography
• The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of urban and regional studies [print]

Handbooks

• City classification handbook: methods and applications [print]
• Global urban growth: a reference handbook
• Handbook of research methods and applications in urban economies
• Handbook of urban studies [print]
• Key concepts in urban studies [print]
• Oxford handbook of cities in world history [print]
• Urban sprawl: a reference handbook  [print]

Subject-specific background sources

Housing

• The encyclopedia of housing [print]
• Homelessness: a bibliography [print]
• International encyclopedia of housing and home
• International handbook of housing policies and practices [print] 
• The urban housing handbook [print] 

Policy and governance

• Cities and growth: a policy handbook [print]
• Dictionary and Introduction to global environmental governance [print (2007) or online (2009)]
• Encyclopedia of governance [print or online]
• International handbook of urban policy (vol. 1)
• International handbook of urban policy (vol. 2)
• International handbook of urban policy (vol. 3)
• Handbook of research on urban politics and policy in the United States [print and online]

Sociology, health and education

• The dictionary of human geography [print or online]  
• Encyclopedia of American urban history [print or online]
• Encyclopedia of community: from the village to the virtual world [print or online]
• Encyclopedia of race, ethnicity, and society [print]
• Encyclopedia of urban cultures [print]
• Handbook of creative cities
• Handbook of regional and urban economics [print] 
• Handbook of urban health [print and online]
• International handbook of globalization and world cities [print (2015) or online (2012)]
• International handbook of urban education
• Oxford handbook of urban politics [print]
• Urban education: a reference handbook [print]

Sustainability

• Cities and nature: A handbook for renewal [print] 
• Dynamic urban design: a handbook for creating sustainable communities worldwide [print]
• Encyclopedia of sustainability
• Handbook of urban ecology [print] 
• Handbook on urban sustainability [print]
• Handbook on urban sustainability [print]

Transportation

• A dictionary of transport analysis
• Handbook on transport and development
• Handbook on transport and urban planning in the developed world
• Handbook of transportation policy and administration
• International handbook on mega-projects
• Urban transport in the developing world: a handbook of policy and practice [print] 

Urban planning and design

• Cities and sports stadiums: a planning handbook [print]  
• A dictionary of architecture and landscape architecture
• Encyclopedic dictionary of landscape and urban planning
• Handbook of research on e-planning: ICT's for urban development and monitoring [print]
• Land development handbook: planning, engineering, and surveying [print] 
• Oxford handbook of urban planning [print]
• Urban design handbook: techniques and working methods [print] 
• Urban regeneration: a handbook [print]