The red-light district in the West European city : a neglected aspect of the urban landscape

This article considers a distinctive but neglected aspect of the urban scene, namely street prostitution and the accompanying phenomenon of red-light districts. It argues, with reference to Western European examples, that prostitution is a significant urban activity that relates to other economic and social functions of the city, and that an understanding of the location and functioning of such areas can reveal otherwise less obvious aspects of the urban social and political structure.