Episodes
Wednesday Jul 18, 2018
/43/ City Struggles ft. Ben Bradlow / David Adler
Wednesday Jul 18, 2018
Wednesday Jul 18, 2018
In which we ask why the urban question become so pointed today - in the Global North as well as in the South? We look at contestation in urban politics - in São Paulo, Johannesburg, London, New York, and beyond. What are the social movement struggles around housing, rent, transport, and the right to the city? What are the limits to housing & transport politics -- are they just consumer movements at the end of the day?
Guests:
- David Adler talks to us about rent in London and beyond.
- Ben Bradlow joins us to debate the big one: can municipal politics be sexy? And can city politics become national politics?
We conclude by returning to a recurring theme: is the Global North actually becoming more like the Global South?
Readings:
Ben Bradlow, Let Them Occupy: https://africasacountry.com/2018/02/let-them-occupy-housing-struggles-in-brazil-and-south-africa
David Adler, Generation Rent: https://jacobinmag.com/2016/04/big-short-housing-loans-renters-affordability
Review of Justin McGuirk's 'Radical Cities' https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/11/radical-cities-latin-america-architecture-justin-mcguirk-review
Interview with Raquel Rolnik https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/2792-the-complete-subjugation-of-urban-policy-an-interview-with-raquel-rolnik
Steve Graham on vertical cities https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/2995-elite-takeovers-of-the-vertical-city
Cover image: 📷Claudio Edinger
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
/42/ Erdogan Ever-Present? ft. Yasemin Yilmaz
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
In which we survey Turkey's election results in light of five years of tumult - Gezi, economic downturn, terrorist attacks, Syrian war, coup, repression. Are cracks beginning to show for Erdogan? He teamed up with ultranationalists, while opposition secularists and Islamists joined forces, but Erdogan held on. How demoralised are the Turkish people, and what are the prospects for the Left? We conclude by debating whether Erdogan represents a generalisable type of political leader today: initally moderate and neoliberal, but tacking increasingly authoritarian and socially conservative.