The Political Economy of Capital Cities

The Political Economy of Capital Cities
Author: Heike Mayer
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 351
Release: 2017-09-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1134795785

Capital cities that are not the dominant economic centers of their nations – so-called ‘secondary capital cities’ (SCCs) – tend to be overlooked in the fields of economic geography and political science. Yet, capital cities play an important role in shaping the political, economic, social and cultural identity of a nation. As the seat of power and decision-making, capital cities represent a nation’s identity not only through their symbolic architecture but also through their economies and through the ways in which they position themselves in national urban networks. The Political Economy of Capital Cities aims to address this gap by presenting the dynamics that influence policy and economic development in four in-depth case studies examining the SCCs of Bern, Ottawa, The Hague and Washington, D.C. In contrast to traditional accounts of capital cities, this book conceptualizes the modern national capital as an innovation-driven economy influenced by national, local and regional actors. Nationally, overarching trends in the direction of outsourcing and tertiarization of the public-sector influence the fate of capital cities. Regional policymakers in all four of the highlighted cities leverage the presence of national government agencies and stimulate the economy by way of various locational policy strategies. While accounting for their secondary status, this book illustrates how capital-city actors such as firms, national, regional and local governments, policymakers and planning practitioners are keenly aware of the unique status of their city. The conclusion provides practical recommendations for policymakers in SCCs and highlights ways in which they can help to promote economic development.

The Political Economy of City Branding

The Political Economy of City Branding
Author: Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2014-02-24
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1135129894

Globalization affects urban communities in many ways. One of its manifestations is increased intercity competition, which compels cities to increase their attractiveness in terms of capital, entrepreneurship, information, expertise and consumption. This competition takes place in an asymmetric field, with cities trying to find the best possible ways of using their natural and created assets, the latter including a naturally evolving reputation or consciously developed competitive identity or brand. The Political Economy of City Branding discusses this phenomenon from the perspective of numerous post-industrial cities in North America, Europe, East Asia and Australasia. Special attention is given to local economic development policy and industrial profiling, and global city rankings are used to provide empirical evidence for cities’ characteristics and positions in the global urban hierarchy. On top of this, social and urban challenges such as creative class struggle are also discussed. The core message of the book is that cities should apply the tools of city branding in their industrial promotion and specialization, but at the same time take into account the special nature of their urban communities and be open and inclusive in their brand policies in order to ensure optimal results. This book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners working in the areas of local economic development, urban planning, public management, and branding.

Power and Architecture

Power and Architecture
Author: Michael Minkenberg
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2014-06-01
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1782380108

Capital cities have been the seat of political power and central stage for their state’s political conflicts and rituals throughout the ages. In the modern era, they provide symbols for and confer meaning to the state, thereby contributing to the “invention” of the nation. Capitals capture the imagination of natives, visitors and outsiders alike, yet also express the outcomes of power struggles within the political systems in which they operate. This volume addresses the reciprocal relationships between identity, regime formation, urban planning, and public architecture in the Western world. It examines the role of urban design and architecture in expressing (or hiding) ideological beliefs and political agenda. Case studies include “old” capitals such as Rome, Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw; “new” ones such as Washington DC, Ottawa, Canberra, Ankara, Bonn, and Brasília; and the “European” capital Brussels. Each case reflects the authors’ different disciplinary backgrounds in architecture, history, political science, and urban studies, demonstrating the value of an interdisciplinary approach to studying cities.

Spaces of Capital/spaces of Resistance

Spaces of Capital/spaces of Resistance
Author: Chris Hesketh
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2017
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0820352845

Introduction -- Geographical politics and the politics of geography -- Latin America and the production of the global economy -- From passive revolution to silent revolution: the politics of state, space, and class formation in modern Mexico -- The changing state of resistance: defending place and producing space in Oaxaca -- The clash of spatializations: class power and the production of Chiapas -- Conclusion

Capital City

Capital City
Author: Samuel Stein
Publisher: Verso Books
Total Pages: 243
Release: 2019-03-05
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1786636387

“This superbly succinct and incisive book” on urban planning and real estate argues gentrification isn’t driven by latte-sipping hipsters—but is engineered by the capitalist state (Michael Sorkin, author of All Over the Map) Our cities are changing. Around the world, more and more money is being invested in buildings and land. Real estate is now a $217 trillion dollar industry, worth thirty-six times the value of all the gold ever mined. It forms sixty percent of global assets, and one of the most powerful people in the world—the former president of the United States—made his name as a landlord and developer. Samuel Stein shows that this explosive transformation of urban life and politics has been driven not only by the tastes of wealthy newcomers, but by the state-driven process of urban planning. Planning agencies provide a unique window into the ways the state uses and is used by capital, and the means by which urban renovations are translated into rising real estate values and rising rents. Capital City explains the role of planners in the real estate state, as well as the remarkable power of planning to reclaim urban life.

Smart Geography

Smart Geography
Author: Stoyan Nedkov
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 443
Release: 2019-10-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030281914

This book focuses on new and innovative spatial approaches based on smart solutions and developed in the field of geography and related interdisciplinary fields such as urban and regional studies, landscape ecology and ecosystem services. It includes contributions from a conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Bulgarian Geographical Society. In turn, the book reveals how 21st-century geography is expected to facilitate the development of human capital and the knowledge society, while also offering place-specific solutions for sustainable regional development and utilization of the planet’s natural and human capital to improve social wellbeing. This volume is intended for the global geographical research community, as well as professionals and practitioners in all fields that deal with space, including regional planners and environmental managers.

Planning Latin America's Capital Cities 1850-1950

Planning Latin America's Capital Cities 1850-1950
Author: Arturo Almandoz
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2002-08-08
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1136767207

In this first comprehensive work in English to describe the building of Latin America's capital cities in the postcolonial period, Arturo Almandoz and his contributors demonstrate how Europe and France in particular shaped their culture, architecture and planning until the United States began to play a part in the 1930s. The book provides a new per