Political Centrality of ‘Capital’ Cities (original) (raw)

In this phase of neoliberalization, cities are witnessing large-scale transformation under the influence of expanding capital and new technologies. Despite growing inequalities and segregations, there has been renewed interest over the last decade or so in building new cities variously labelled ‘smart’, ‘green’, or ‘integrated’. This chapter attempts to explain how ‘state’ has become more prominent in shaping the conditions for capital accumulation and circulation, especially in leveraging its control over land for certain political interests. Taking ideas from Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey, and Neil Brenner, the chapter elaborates on rescaling strategies, and the way a capital city has become the critical place where one could see how physical space, political power, and the logic of accumulation play out in the neoliberal context. The purpose in analysing three cities is to explain the underlying forces that have been contribut- ing to the current forms of capitalist urbanization.

Sign up for access to the world's latest research.

checkGet notified about relevant papers

checkSave papers to use in your research

checkJoin the discussion with peers

checkTrack your impact