Stephen Graham is Professor of Cities and Society at Newcastle Universitys School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. His research addresses the complex links between urban places and mobilities, infrastructures, militarization, survieillance, security and war. His books include Telecommunications and the City, Splintering Urbanism (both with Simon Marvin), Disrupted Cities: When Infrastructures Fail and Cities Under Siege: The New Military Urbanism. His next book, Vertical: The Politics of Up and Down (Verso) is currently in preparation.