World City

by Doreen Massey

Cities around the world are striving to be 'global'. This book tells the story of one of them, and in so doing raises questions of identity, place and political responsibility that are essential for all cities. World City focuses its account on London, one of the greatest of these global cities. London is a city of delight and of creativity. It also presides over a country increasingly divided between North and South and over a neo-liberal form of globalisation - the deregulation, financialisation and commercialisation of all aspects of life - that is resulting in an evermore unequal world. World City explores how we can understand this complex narrative and asks a question that should be asked of any city: what does this place stand for? Following the implosion within the financial sector, such issues are even more vital. In a new Preface, Doreen Massey addresses these changed times. She argues that, whatever happens, the evidence of this book is that we must not go back to 'business as usual', and she asks whether the financial crisis might open up a space for a deeper rethinking of both our economy and our society.

Genres: Geography, Nonfiction, Cities, Philosophy, British Literature, Politics

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2007

About the author

From Wikipedia: Doreen Barbara Massey FRSA FBA FAcSS (3 January 1944 – 11 March 2016) was a British social scientist and geographer, working among others on topics involving Marxist geography, feminist geography, and cultural geography. Her work on space, place and power has been highly influential within a range of related disciplines and research fields. She served as Emeritus Professor of Geography at the Open University.

Massey was born in Manchester and spent most of her childhood in Wythenshawe, a large council estate. She studied at Oxford and later did a Masters in Regional Science at the University of Pennsylvania, beginning her career with a thinktank, the Centre for Environmental Studies (CES) in London. CES contained several key analysts of the contemporary British economy, and Massey established a working partnership with Richard Meegan, among others. CES was closed down and she moved into academia at the Open University.

Massey retired in 2009 but remained a frequent media commentator, particularly on industry and regional trends. In her role as Emeritus Professor at the OU she continued her speaking engagements and involvement in educational TV programmes and books.

Reviews

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important argument about the contruction of space, centred on London's claims to be a 'world city'. The left has learnt to celebrate this appellation, praising the diversity and multuculturalism that it entails, but Massey argues that it has a darker side. Constructed on past histories of imperialism and colonialism, the dominant interests in London have retained their standing through strategies of financialisation, in the context of globalisation and privatisation.

She asks what strategies are available to the left to allow it to claim the progressive component of London's reconstruction, whilst challenging its place as a force driving exploitation across the globe. Lots to think about here.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

這本書的性質算是教科書, 探討都市發展及特性等課題。因為是教科書性質，書中每章節都有一些案例及習作，希望讀者停下腳步思考問題，但懶惰如我，還是囫圇吞棗式的讀完了它，所以有點消化不良的感覺。
另一個讓我消化不良的原因，是因為這本書每章節是不同人主筆翻譯，說真的，有部分章節翻譯的並不好，其中有部分章節讓我在閱讀時一直有鬼打牆的感覺，怎麼看就是看不懂，差點讓我放棄了這麼書！
不過，整體來說這本書是精彩旳，書中探討了一個城市的成形、城市裡的異質性及多樣性、城市間之網絡關係等，書中也不斷呈現城市內人文活動與城市空間之連結。如果這麼書翻譯的人性化一點，應該會是一本好書吧！

[Dr KitKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seminal work on one of this world's most multi-layered cities, by a master of political spatial theory.