Globalization, Development and Ordinary Cities: A Review Essay

Authors

  • James C. Fraser University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.2006.380

Abstract

What are the underlying spatial assumptions about the world that renders some cities exemplars of modernity and innovation, while others are cast as being behind, and worse yet, forgotten places? This is a key question that has emerged in geography and sociology, and is addressed in Jennifer Robinson?s book Ordinary Cities: Between Modernity and Development. The purpose of this essay is two-fold in that it provides a review of Robinson?s book and it also uses her text as a vehicle to interrogate the geo-politics of urban theory development. In particular, scholars have voiced concern over the manner in which ?world cities? and then ?global cities? have the power/knowledge e?ect of reifying the idea that there is one ?world system? that can be measured objectively.

Downloads

Published

2006-02-26

How to Cite

Fraser, J. C. . (2006). Globalization, Development and Ordinary Cities: A Review Essay. Journal of World-Systems Research, 12(1), 189–197. https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.2006.380

Issue

Section

General Section