Urban Politics

This innovative volume offers a much needed update on urban politics in a globalized world. The path-breaking introduction by Davidson and Martin unpacks this complex domain by framing urban politics in three ways: occurring within the city, as a setting for other urban processes, and as a medium for contestation and resolution.  Within each section the contributors trouble these categories and demonstrate how the reach of urban politics exceeds the city through technological, social, cultural and political economy avenues of transition and mobility. Drawing upon Ranciere’s distinction between policing and politics as a fruitful avenue for identifying politics that promote social change rather than enforce social norms, Davidson and Martin, as well as contributors, chart new territory and produce thought-provoking research that move the field in a more critical direction.

-- Setha M. Low

′A critical analysis of power and politics is essential to an understanding of contemporary urbanism. Informative and challenging, clear and sophisticated, Urban Politics: Critical Approaches encourages readers to grapple with the great diversity of analytical lenses that frame urban political research through detailed, engaging case studies. It provides an introduction to cutting-edge research that will be valued both by those new to the field and those intent on keeping up with its current debates.′

-- Eugene McCann
The collection is quite approachable, and will analytically inform relevant topical discussions in contemporary urban studies and offer extra readings throughout its pages to help ground its contentions. It is particularly apt for those interested in advancing their understanding of the complex realm of relational place-making. The purpose of this book, then, is to advance a multidimensional analysis of urban political processes today.  -- Stephen Przybylinski, Portland State University,