Rebel Cities, David Harvey

Building More Socially Equitable and Environmentally Sustainable Cities

On the main squares of Cairo, Madrid, Athens, and New York, protest movements and opposition to the omnipresence of financial capitalism are emerging. According to David Harvey, these movements embody the ceaseless claim for the “right to the city”: the city, as the main fulcrum of the accumulation of wealth, also becomes center stage for the struggles to control access to urban resources. Real estate developers, bankers, and financiers wield considerable power over the standard and structure of citizens’ daily lives, while keeping them at arm’s length from decisions that directly impact them.

The book Rebel Cities places the city at the heart of thinking on capitalism and class conflicts. By analyzing events such as the Paris Commune, Occupy Wall Street, or the London riots, David Harvey questions the possibility of building more socially equitable and environmentally viable cities.