Discuss Global Cities and Slums (64120)

INTL ST 101B: Global Cities and Slums (64120)
Mid-term paper assignment
The right to the city
Over the past few weeks, we have discussed the link between global processes of capitalist restructuring and the economic, social and spatial form and characteristics of global/izing cities, as well as the circulation of particular models, actors, practices and visions of urban planning. For this assignment, you will use the lens of the conceptual lens of the “right to the city” to start thinking through the outcomes of contemporary urban planning efforts.
As the basis for your mid-term assignment, you will:
Watch the documentary Not in My NeighbourhoodLinks to an external site. (2017), 1h26m. Not in My Neigbourhood tells the inter-generational stories of the ways in which ordinary citizens respond to the policies, process, and institutions driving contemporary forms of spatial violence and gentrification in Cape Town, New York, and São Paulo.
The documentary is available on KanopyLinks to an external site. by using your off-campus VPN access. For those who may struggle with access to Kanopy, I have uploaded a copy to the movie hereLinks to an external site..
Select one out of the two following readings on the right to the city (available under files on Canvas):
Lefebvre, H. (1996). Ch. 14. The right to the city, In: Writings on cities. Selected, translated and introduced by E. Kofman and E. Lebas. Blackwell Publishers, pp. 147-159.
Harvey, D. (2008). The right to the city, New Left Review 53, pp. 23-40.
Write a response to the documentary and explain how the documentary relates to the meaning of the “right to the city’ described by either Lefebvre (1996) or Harvey (2008) and drawing on at least one other reading of the course so far that resonates with you and the contents of the documentary.
So essentially this assignment consists of bringing the following elements together:
A response on the documentary – for this you can follow an adapted version of the elements that you have been covering in your reading responses: what is the purpose of the documentary; what message does it seek to communicate and what examples/evidence is provided to illustrate this message and what did you think of it?
A response to either the Lefebvre (1996) or Harvey (2008) reading.
Making a link to how this connects or resonates with at least one other reading of the course (you can draw here on texts that you have done earlier reading responses on).

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