This is an ebook so it is available 24/7. If you access it off-campus, you'll need to log in, but that's a very low barrier for accessing this rich resource. I'm going to fly my nerd flag proudly and say this: I like to leaf through reference books on topics that I think I know fairly well already, and reference books on topics about which I'd never willingly read a full-length book. I learn more than I already knew, or an unfamiliar topic becomes more interesting. Either way, it's a small investment of time for a big payoff.
I thought I was fairly familiar with the outlines of the themes of American urban history: overcrowded immigrant tenements, why suburbs are both good and bad, or why building codes are important. I have greatly enjoyed learning more details about familiar topics through random perusal of the Encyclopedia of American Urban History. For example, I learned details about why Chicago's Cabrini-Green high-rises were a failure. I learned about the concept of downtown, which seemed simple enough at first, but which I found far more complex when considered from the viewpoint of a city planner.
Unlike a heavy encyclopedia, this one weighs nothing, so rather than recommending that you to pick it up, I'll recommend that you click it up. I recommend going to the bottom of the page and type in a random number from 1-1000. From Addams to zoning, the entries are a pleasure and a challenge.
Even though I've emphasized reading for pleasure, don't forget that this is also a great reference work if you're writing a paper on urban history. ~ Abbey Warner