The Neoliberalization of urban space

The Neoliberalization of urban space

[SHS:GEO] Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography

[SHS:ARCHI] Humanities and Social Sciences/Architecture, space management

serial reproduction

downtowns

city space

cities' image

Beirut

Amman

This paper investigates the ‘serial reproduction' of new downtowns as up-to-date business and financial districts and high-end residential neighborhoods in the central areas of Beirut and Amman. These new monumental spaces are designed as the ‘icons' of the cities reflecting their international character. As illustrative examples of neoliberal policy experiments, their overarching goal consists in mobilizing city space as an arena for market-oriented economic growth and elite consumption practices. Implemented through public-private partnerships, the Beirut Central District Reconstruction and the Al-Abdali Urban Regeneration Project in Amman are prestigious urban ‘flagship' projects attempting to reorient the cities' image in order to re-enforce their competitive position in a context of rapidly changing local, national and global conditions in which cities are challenged by an intensifying competition over international investments. The involvement of one and the same investment network in both projects as the major agent is of particular interest to this research

Summer, Doris

Villes et Territoires du Moyen-Orient

2006-05

ENG

article in peer-reviewed journal

http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00139204

http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/13/92/04/PDF/The_Neoliberalization_of_Urban_Space_PDF_version.pdf