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Race and Space in the Postcolony : A Relational Study on Urban Planning Under Racial Capitalism in Brazil and South Africa

Melgaço, Lorena LU and Xavier Pinto Coelho, Luana (2022) In City and Community 21(3). p.214-237
Abstract

This article analyzes two planned cities—Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Bloemfontein (South Africa)—to investigate connectivities across geographies and temporalities and reveal the role of urban planning in racial capitalism. Early works in urban sociology underscore the color line in producing differentiation in capitalist development. But color-blind analyses of capitalism have undermined the role of race in the urbanization process and formation of value—of places and people—and how the modern triad—colonial, racial, and capital—is deeply implicated in power modalities. Based on policy analysis, we historicize political choices in discuss urban planning and national developmentalist schemes after redemocratization that produced... (More)

This article analyzes two planned cities—Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Bloemfontein (South Africa)—to investigate connectivities across geographies and temporalities and reveal the role of urban planning in racial capitalism. Early works in urban sociology underscore the color line in producing differentiation in capitalist development. But color-blind analyses of capitalism have undermined the role of race in the urbanization process and formation of value—of places and people—and how the modern triad—colonial, racial, and capital—is deeply implicated in power modalities. Based on policy analysis, we historicize political choices in discuss urban planning and national developmentalist schemes after redemocratization that produced racial-spatial inequalities. We argue that color-blind urban policies still neglect the role of race in the production of Brazilian and South African cities under the guise of “planning innocence.” This discussion expands our understanding of urbanization and capital accumulation as a dialectical process of black dispossession and the protection of white property in the postcolony.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
postcolonial city, racial capitalism, racism, urban planning
in
City and Community
volume
21
issue
3
pages
214 - 237
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85129252791
ISSN
1535-6841
DOI
10.1177/15356841221087195
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ff24120a-3580-4b5a-98c0-3a743faf3f4e
date added to LUP
2022-07-08 09:04:56
date last changed
2022-10-31 14:56:46
@article{ff24120a-3580-4b5a-98c0-3a743faf3f4e,
  abstract     = {{<p>This article analyzes two planned cities—Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Bloemfontein (South Africa)—to investigate connectivities across geographies and temporalities and reveal the role of urban planning in racial capitalism. Early works in urban sociology underscore the color line in producing differentiation in capitalist development. But color-blind analyses of capitalism have undermined the role of race in the urbanization process and formation of value—of places and people—and how the modern triad—colonial, racial, and capital—is deeply implicated in power modalities. Based on policy analysis, we historicize political choices in discuss urban planning and national developmentalist schemes after redemocratization that produced racial-spatial inequalities. We argue that color-blind urban policies still neglect the role of race in the production of Brazilian and South African cities under the guise of “planning innocence.” This discussion expands our understanding of urbanization and capital accumulation as a dialectical process of black dispossession and the protection of white property in the postcolony.</p>}},
  author       = {{Melgaço, Lorena and Xavier Pinto Coelho, Luana}},
  issn         = {{1535-6841}},
  keywords     = {{postcolonial city; racial capitalism; racism; urban planning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{214--237}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{City and Community}},
  title        = {{Race and Space in the Postcolony : A Relational Study on Urban Planning Under Racial Capitalism in Brazil and South Africa}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/15356841221087195}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/15356841221087195}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}