Journal article
Planning in the face of immovable subjects: a dialogue about resistance to development forces
Planning theory & practice, Vol.18(3), pp.469-488
2017
DOI: 10.1080/14649357.2017.1328811
Abstract
Urban development can often seem an irresistible force. The imperatives of development are deeply inscribed in the DNA of liberal capitalist societies. As well as realising profit-making opportunities for the private sector, urban change is a mechanism for (re)generating neighbourhoods, for providing public goods such as waste management, energy generation or public housing. The state may seek to mediate, ameliorate or shape development forces, thereby alleviating tensions and inequalities between divergent publics, and establishing claims to a greater public interest in certain forms of change. As it does so, state support may make development seem even more irresistible, especially if space for political challenge closes down. Yet, the seemingly irresistible force often summons seemingly immovable subjects of resistance: namely citizens and campaign groups who stand against planned changes and declare: ‘we shall not be moved’. Sometimes resistance dissolves with meaningful public input and project improvements; sometimes it remains steadfast in its opposition. The ‘immovable subjects’ who resist are mobilised by concerns to which we may be more or less sympathetic: perceived threats to valued place attachments and identities; outrage at environmental injustices; the desire to defend private property rights; racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Whether singly or collectively, these claims and their nuanced interpretations can motivate intractable and sometimes violent opposition. The starting point for this Interface is a view that contemporary planning theory and practice continue to struggle with the complex and ambiguous political and ethical challenges posed by the forms of opposition that coalesce around state-mediated urban development. How can, and how should, the ‘essential injustices’ (Davy, 1997) that planning and development generate be managed and distributed? Can meaningful engagement with opposition address tensions and contribute to better outcomes? The implications for representative democracy and collaborative governance are no less profound: from the local to the global, resistance and opposition are central but also often disruptive to the democratic exercise of power.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Planning in the face of immovable subjects: a dialogue about resistance to development forces
- Creators
- Andy InchLucie LaurianClare MouatRuth DaviesBenjamin DavyCrystal LegacyClare Symonds
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Planning theory & practice, Vol.18(3), pp.469-488
- DOI
- 10.1080/14649357.2017.1328811
- ISSN
- 1470-000X
- eISSN
- 1470-000X
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/501100001871, name: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, award: SFRH / BPD / 110582/2015
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2017
- Academic Unit
- School of Planning and Public Affairs; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9983993027702771
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