Apologies for cross postings...
CALL FOR PAPERS
Nordic Geographers Meeting
May 10-14, 2005
Lund, Sweden
Activist planning: towards a post-neoliberal future?
Anders Lund Hansen
Department of Social and Economic Geography
Lund University, [log in to unmask]
&
Deborah Cowen
Department of Geography and Programme in Planning
University of Toronto, [log in to unmask]
Urban planning is a contentious terrain of political conflict in a
neoliberalizing world. The term ‘neoliberalism’ may be increasingly vague in
its usage, yet it also seems to be increasingly useful for many activists
engaged in struggles over the changing governance of cities. Broadly,
neoliberalism has entailed the dismantling of Keynesian welfarism and the rise
of workfare; the privatization of public assets and services; the shift away
from rights-based entitlements towards user-fees and other individualizing and
‘active’ forms of citizenship; ‘flexible’ work practices, and a faith in the
power of ‘entrepreneurialism’ to cure all that ails us. In the realm of urban
planning practice, neoliberalism has meant, among other things, a growing
reliance on private consultants and appointed boards to identify and define
problems and to prescribe solutions. Neoliberal discourse often mobilizes the
language of participatory and democratic planning practice, but in many places
the move towards token consultations has the effect of ‘capacity draining’
already hard-pressed communities. In the midst of these challenges what kinds
of creative responses are groups developing to build alternative futures in
different cities?
There is now a large literature that outlines dominant discourses, policies,
and practices associated with urban neoliberalism, as well as its various
histories and geographies. But we have far fewer accounts of activist
responses. The aim of this session is to bring together scholars and activists
engaged with these questions to share and sharpen our understandings of these
ongoing challenges, and to discuss tactics and strategies for bringing new
futures into being.
Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Contesting privatization - public services, spaces, nature, planning
practice, etc
- Strategies for democratization - participatory budgeting initiatives,
coalition building, direct action, contesting racialization, etc
- Planning alternatice spaces
- Asserting the right to the city - sanctuary cities, contesting deportations
etc.
Our aim is to maximize time available for discussion and debate, and to avoid
as much as possible standard paper presentations. Alternative modes of
presentation are welcomed (e.g. film); if written papers are presented they
should be short and circulated in advance. Formal spoken presentations should
be limited to ten minutes each.
Send an abstract to [log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask] before
April 1 2005. Registration and practical questions see: http://www.ngm.cc
|