Unpacking the ‘neoliberal city’

A number of general terms are routinely evoked to describe contemporary urban conditions, such as  globalization, (super)diversity, migration, gentrification, neoliberalism, securitization and gentrification. But how do we research ‘the city’ in ways that provide particular knowledges about specific urban contexts, at the same time contributing to our comprehension of what ‘the urban’ is becoming? This seminar will feature critical qualitative research on cities, informed by feminist and postcolonial perspectives, and intertwining methodological and theoretical reflections. The talks will take their point of departure in specific urban contexts in Sweden, US and Canada, using the findings to grasp overarching dynamics of ‘the urban’.

Programme:

1pm: Welcome
1.10: Leslie Kern, Mount Allison University: Feminist pathways through the planetary urban
2.10: Coffee break
2.25: Randi Gressgård, University of Bergen: The shift from security to resilience in urban crime prevention policy
3.25: Q&A, final discussion and remarks
4pm: wine reception