Globalization and Urban Change

This study provides a grounded analysis of globalization and urban change in the late 20th century. Drawing upon multi-locale field work in Vancouver, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Paris and London, the author highlights the role of two transnational cultures - ethnic Chinese property developers and "brand name" architects - in the planning and development of urban mega-projects. Case studies from Vancouver and Shanghai are used to analyze the nature of the transnational practices and networks that facilitate the production of new urban spaces in the Pacific Rim. This reflexive, situated and interdisciplinary account offers an alternative perspective to the abstract and economistic analyses that dominate our understanding of globalization and urban change. It should be of value to human geographers, urban planners, sociologists, anthropologists, architects, economists and political scientists; and all with an interest in the processes that reshape the modern city.