Contested Cities and Urban Activism

Description

This edited volume advances our understanding of urban activism beyond the social movement theorization dominated by thesis of political opportunity structure and resource mobilization, as well as by research based on experience from the global north. Covering a diversity of urban actions from a broad range of countries in both hemispheres as well as the global north and global south, this unique collection notably focuses on non-institutionalised or localised urban actions that have the potential to bring about radical structural transformation of the urban system and also addresses actions in authoritarian regimes that are too sensitive to call themselves “movement”. It addresses localized issues cut off from international movements such as collective consumption issues, like clean water, basic shelter, actions against displacement or proper venues for street vendors, and argues that the integration of the actions in cities in the global south with the specificity of their local social and political environment is as pivotal as their connection with global movement networks or international NGOs. A key read for researchers and policy makers cutting across the fields of urban sociology, political science, public policy, geography, regional studies and housing studies, this text provides an interdisciplinary and international perspective on 21st century urban activism in the global north and south. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Introductory Remarks and Overview (Ngai Ming Yip, Miguel Angel Martínez López, Xiaoyi Sun)....Pages 3-24 Framing Urban Movements, Contesting Global Capitalism and Liberal Democracy (Miguel Angel Martínez López)....Pages 25-45 Front Matter ....Pages 47-47 Housing Activism Against the Production of Ignorance: Some Lessons from the UK (Tom Slater)....Pages 49-71 Urban Food Activism in Athens: Recovering More Autonomous Forms of Social Reproduction (Inés Morales-Bernardos)....Pages 73-98 From Obedience to Resistance: Understanding Equal Rights to Education Movement as a Cultural Process (Anqi Liu)....Pages 99-120 Front Matter ....Pages 121-121 Has Urban Cycling Improved in Hong Kong? A Sociopolitical Analysis of Cycling Advocacy Activists’ Contributions and Dilemmas (Hongze Tan, Miguel Angel Martínez López)....Pages 123-146 Urban Activism in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Deprived and Discontented Citizens Demanding a More Just City (Sonia Roitman)....Pages 147-174 From the Squatters’ Movement to Housing Activism in Spain: Identities, Tactics and Political Orientation (Robert González)....Pages 175-197 Squatted Social Centres Activists and ‘Locally Unwanted Land Use’ Movements in Italy: A Comparative Analysis Between Two Case Studies (Gianni Piazza, Federica Frazzetta)....Pages 199-225 Front Matter ....Pages 227-227 ‘We Are Quality Citizens of Bangkok Too’: Urban Activism in Bangkok During the 2011 Floods (Danny Marks)....Pages 229-252 The Evolution of Housing Rights Activism in South Korea (Seon Young Lee)....Pages 253-273 The Squatters’ and Tenants’ Movement in Buenos Aires. A Vindication of Centrality and the Self-Managed Production of Space (Ibán Díaz-Parra)....Pages 275-296 Back Matter ....Pages 297-313