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From: Themis Chronopoulos <[log in to unmask]>
Chronopoulos, Themis. "Congestion Pricing: The Political Viability of a
Neoliberal Spatial Mobility Proposal in London, Stockholm, and New York
City." _Urban Research & Practice_ 5 (July 2012): 187-208.
http://themis.slass.org/congestion-pricing.html
Abstract
This article examines the debates and contradictions that surrounded the
promotion of congestion pricing proposals in London, Stockholm, and New
York City. On the one hand, congestion pricing is a neoliberal urban
proposal that seeks to reduce motor traffic in a cordoned area by pricing
out certain drivers. On the other hand, the political authorities believe
that the success of congestion pricing proposals depends on the degree of
redistributive elements regarding spatial mobility that are built into
them. Redistribution in the form of improved mass transit provision was
proposed in all three cities and was implemented in Stockholm and London.
The problem with this political gesture is that neoliberals are lukewarm to
redistributive politics and consider spatial mobility to be a matter of
capacity and not a right. This means that neoliberal political parties
because of their skepticism of redistributive politics, have more
difficulties in imposing congestion pricing schemes than Left Parties. The
congestion pricing proposal of the New York City failed because it was
proposed by a neoliberal city administration without a credible
redistributive spatial mobility plan.
Themis Chronopoulos
Lecturer
School of American Studies
University of East Anglia
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