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Provincializing Urban Political Ecology: Towards a Situated UPE Through African Urbanism
Author(s) -
Lawhon Mary,
Ernstson Henrik,
Silver Jonathan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
antipode
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.177
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1467-8330
pISSN - 0066-4812
DOI - 10.1111/anti.12051
Subject(s) - situated , urban theory , urbanism , political ecology , framing (construction) , sociology , politics , marxist philosophy , ecological urbanism , urban politics , critical theory , power (physics) , environmental ethics , ecology , new urbanism , political science , geography , architecture , law , biology , archaeology , artificial intelligence , computer science , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
Urban political ecology (UPE) has provided critical insights into the sociomaterial construction of urban environments, their unequal distribution of resources, and contestation over power and resources. Most of this work is rooted in Marxist urban geographical theory, which provides a useful but limited analysis. Such works typically begin with a historical‐materialist theory of power, then examine particular artifacts and infrastructure to provide a critique of society. We argue that there are multiple ways of expanding this framing, including through political ecology or wider currents of Marxism. Here, we demonstrate one possibility: starting from theory and empirics in the South, specifically, African urbanism. We show how African urbanism can inform UPE and the associated research methods, theory and practice to create a more situated UPE. We begin suggesting what a situated UPE might entail: starting with everyday practices, examining diffuse forms of power, and opening the scope for radical incrementalism. © 2013 The Author. Antipode © 2013 Antipode Foundation Ltd.