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Towards a paradigm of Southern urbanism

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  • Seth Schindler

Abstract

In this paper I argue that cities in the global South constitute a distinctive ‘type’ of human settlement. I begin by critiquing Brenner and Schmid’s concept of planetary urbanization which erases difference among cities and locates the essence of urbanity in the global North. I echo their criticism of postcolonial urbanism, however, which has struggled to articulate precisely how Southern cities differ from their Northern counterparts. I then propose three tendencies that, when taken together, serve as the basis of an emergent paradigm of Southern urbanism. First, I assert that cities in the South tend to exhibit a persistent disconnect between capital and labor. Second, I demonstrate that their metabolic configurations are discontinuous, dynamic and contested. Finally, I argue that political economy is not the overriding context within which urban processes unfold, but rather it is always already co-constituted with the materiality of Southern cities. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of characteristics exhibited uniformly by all cities in the global South. Instead, I hope that it serves as a starting point for city-centric scholarship that can account for very real differences between/among cities without constructing cities in the South as pathological and in need of development interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Seth Schindler, 2017. "Towards a paradigm of Southern urbanism," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 47-64, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:cityxx:v:21:y:2017:i:1:p:47-64
    DOI: 10.1080/13604813.2016.1263494
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    Cited by:

    1. Blomkvist, Pär & Nilsson, David & Juma, Benard & Sitoki, Lewis, 2020. "Bridging the critical interface: Ambidextrous innovation for water provision in Nairobi's informal settlements," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    2. Jain, Manisha & Korzhenevych, Artem & Basu, Anurima Mukherjee, 2021. "Integrating spatial development with infrastructure provision along an envisioned transport corridor: A conceptual framework and its application to India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    3. Thinphanga, Pakamas & Friend, Richard, 2024. "Thailand’s policy vacuum: Land use planning as sites of negotiation and contestation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    4. Nilsson, David & Blomkvist, Pär, 2021. "Is the self-read water meter a pro-poor innovation? Evidence from a low-income settlement in Nairobi," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).

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