Urban crisis: The genealogy of a concept

Timothy Weaver

Urban Studies, 2017, vol. 54, issue 9, 2039-2055

Abstract: The term ‘urban crisis’ emerged in the USA in the 1950s. Ever since the term came into popular use, it has been mobilised to advance a range of political and economic interests. Utilising a genealogical approach, this article traces the evolution, uses and abuses of the concept. It suggests that the various meanings attached to the term are rooted in two overarching frameworks. While one finds the origins of urban crisis in structural, primarily material, forces, the other sees the crisis as grounded in culture and immorality. The article argues that the concept was deployed in the 1950s and 1960s to justify government intervention of various sorts to stimulate economic growth. However, it finds the fiscal crises of the 1970s gave rise to a dominant understanding of urban crisis that promoted the spread of urban neoliberalism.

Keywords: austerity; culture of poverty; fiscal crisis; neoliberalism; urban crisis; 紧缩; 贫困文化; è´¢æ”¿å ±æœº; 新自由主义; åŸŽå¸‚å ±æœº (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:54:y:2017:i:9:p:2039-2055

DOI: 10.1177/0042098016640487

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