Based on the experiences and research of the Urban Age project organized by the Alfred Herrhausen Society and the London School of Economics as well as the conferences in New York, Shanghai, London, Mexico City, Johannesburg and Berlin, The Endless City documents not only the infrastructure and construction expansion in these six cities, but also the social and economic factors that go hand in hand with their rapid growth. With more than 30 contributions by renowned experts in the fields of architecture, urban planning, safety, transport, sociology and politics as well as numerous photographs, charts and statistics, The Endless City is a unique review of urban change at the beginning of the 21st century – and a guide for all those working to shape the future of our cities.

The book The Endless City was presented to the public for the first time on March 10, 2008. Together with the publisher Phaidon Press, the Alfred Herrhausen Society hosted a podium discussion at the Aedes Architecture Forum, am Pfefferberg, in Berlin with Ricky Burdett, co-editor of the book and Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at the London School of Economics, Engelbert Lütke-Daldrup, German Secretary of State for Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and Hans Kollhoff, architect and President of the International Architecture Academy (Internationale Bauakademie) in Berlin.

The podium unanimously agreed that, compared with the explosive growth in the megacities of Asia, Africa and South America, Europe’s cities were in a privileged situation. They felt that European cities were comparatively easy to govern, the conflicts in the cities were relatively harmless and, consequently, there was less pressure on those in positions of responsibility in the cities’ administration and in the political sphere. Opinions differed, however, when it came to the question of the responsibility of the architects and urban planners. For Hans Kollhoff, the architect’s key task is to attract attention – combined with the highest expectations regarding the quality and substance of the buildings and constructions –, whereas Ricky Burdett considers that architects and urban planners as a professional guild are indeed to be held responsible. Urban planning has an enormous influence on quality of life, he said, and it is essential to avoid isolating poorer residents through faulty planning and botched urban architecture. Burdett added that the Urban Age project – and the newly published book accompanying the project – was unique in bringing together the widest variety of professions and people in positions of responsibility.

On March 12, 2008, The Endless City was then presented at the Tate Modern in London. BBC journalist Roger Harrabin moderated a discussion between the architect Richard Rogers, Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá, and the book's editors, Ricky Burdett from the London School of Economics and Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum in London.

In May 2008, the Alfred Herrhausen Society also presented The Endless City at the Creek Arts Centre in Shanghai. Wolfgang Nowak from the Alfred Herrhausen Society hosted a discussion among Xiangming Cheng, Dean and Director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies at Trinity College in Hartford and Visiting Professor at Fudan University, the architect Johannes Dell who lives and works in Shanghai, Dieter Läpple, Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Economics at the HafenCity University Hamburg and one of the authors of the book, Philipp Rode, Executive Director of the Urban Age project, and Xuejin Zuo from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.