De-parochializing Urban Entrepreneurialism: Between (Im)mobilities
Author
Gouveia Coelho de Oliveira, Tatiana Cecilia
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-09-17
Abstract
Specialet undersøger, hvorfor og hvordan bestemte byrum (u)mobiliseres for at tiltrække mobil kapital og forbrugere i en post-krise og sparepolitisk kontekst, hvor mange byer har taget urban entreprenørisme til sig. Med udgangspunkt i Lissabon—som i 2015 modtog EER-prisen og samtidig oplever hurtige omdannelser samt vedvarende sociale og territoriale uligheder—argumenterer afhandlingen for at se urban entreprenørisme ikke blot som en effekt af neoliberalisme, men som en politisk praksis, der artikulerer investeringer i konkrete steder for at realisere profit. For at “afprovinsialisere” begrebet placerer studiet det i en portugisisk sammenhæng og kobler det med policy mobility og lokal afhængighed for at belyse stedets politik (politics of place-ness). Empirisk fokuserer specialet på den omstridte omdannelse af Portugalia-pladsen (Portugalia Plaza), herunder et foreslået 60 m tårn og en større ejendomsudvikling, som har udløst offentlig høring, kritik og borgerinitiativer. Analysen bygger på en meta-analytisk gennemgang og et casestudie med triangulering af kilder, herunder ekspertinterviews. Uddraget rummer ikke endelige resultater, men studiet søger at afdække magtfulde dynamikker, der mobiliserer en “sjælden (spekulativ) mulighed” og former socio-politiske udfald, samt at diskutere konsekvenser for ulighed og muligheden for mere progressive bypolitiske alternativer.
This thesis examines why and how specific urban places are (im)mobilized to attract mobile capital and consumers in a post-crisis, austerity-driven context where many cities have embraced urban entrepreneurialism. Focusing on Lisbon—which received the EER award in 2015 and is undergoing rapid transformation alongside persistent social and territorial inequalities—the study argues that urban entrepreneurialism should be understood not only as an effect of neoliberalism but as a political practice that articulates investments within particular places to realize profit. To de-parochialize the concept, the thesis situates it within a Portuguese context and links it to policy mobility and local dependence to illuminate the politics of place-ness. Empirically, it analyzes the contested redevelopment of Portugalia Square (Portugalia Plaza), including a proposed 60 m tower and a larger real estate scheme that has prompted a public hearing, criticism, and civic mobilization. The analysis combines a meta-analytical review with a case study using triangulated sources, including expert interviews. While the excerpt does not present final findings, the study seeks to uncover the power-laden dynamics that mobilize a “rare (speculative) opportunity” and shape socio-political outcomes, and to reflect on implications for inequality and the scope for more progressive urban policy alternatives.
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