Social Economics and the Solidarity City

Brendan Murtagh is a Reader in Urban Planning at Queen’s University Belfast, and has been involved in numerous research projects and books.

• 1. Introduction 2. The rules of the game 3. Urban politics and alternative economics 4. Social and solidarity economics 5. Enterprises, legitimace and pursuit of the social 6. Actually existing solidarity economies 7. Scale, replication and money 8. Conclusions

"Brendan Murtagh is doing some of the best thinking around alternative economies and in particular, in this era of post-crash neoliberalism redux, the social economy as a political project for a new tradition of progressive urbanism. Whilst peppered with case study exemplars, this is a book which, from cover to cover, demonstrates powerful thought leadership, assembling the very best and very latest literature in this field and offering sophisticated and nuanced intellectual and political positions and projects. Despite the hard thinking which is in evidence, the clarity and verve of its exposition will make it a lucid read for a variety of academic and activist audiences. This book is essential reading for those interested in placing ethics and solidarity at the heart of relationships between states, markets and civil society." -Mark Boyle, Director of the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place, University of Liverpool, UK"This book provides a timely and refreshing insight into the potential for the social and solidarity economy in a post-austerity context. While critical in approach, it shows how alternative economic models and mechanisms such as community enterprise and social finance can contribute to a more just city." -John McCarthy, Associate Professor in Urban Studies, Heriot-Watt University, UK