The capital of Georgia practically pre- sents a new face every day. Ambitious building projects and large foreign investments are constantly changing the cityscape of Tbilisi. This relentless development is the subject of much de- bate among the city's residents: What should be preserved and what may be subjected to change? What is available for sale and what is common property? What do we want to remember and what are our sources of inspiration?

Urban planners, architects, activists, clerics, and politicians recount what the changes mean to them and to life in the unknown city in the South Cauca- sus. The very diverse and impressively illustrated contributions give an im- mediate view of the multiple changes taking place between the desire for the preservation of the past and the dawn of a new era.