Predatory Urbanism

The Metabolism of Megaprojects in Asia

Cities series

Agatino Rizzo, Chaired Professor and Head of Architecture, with Anindita Mandal, Doctoral Candidate in Architecture, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden

Addressing the complex interrelationships between city making and the resources needed for its production, Predatory Urbanism explores the link between urbanization and resources in the global South. It particularly focuses on urban megaprojects, highlighting these planned developments and re-developments carried out by the state or state-linked agencies.

‘A powerful reminder that many urban megaprojects exacerbate social and environmental issues that they pretend to solve or alleviate, inducing unnecessary resource consumption and stimulating segregated developments and displacements. The studies in the book make a powerful case for the need to critically reexamine the neo-liberal urban policies and agendas, suggesting a restraint in the usage of such played-out and abused concepts as smart-, eco-, intelligent and sustainable cities. This thought-provoking book not only presents a critique of the neo-liberal patterns of urban development, but also offers new insights on urban metabolism, the implications of “green planning”, the nature of “instant urbanism”, and the development of solidaristic communities.’
– Vadim Rossman, University of International Business and Economics, China

‘This book gives much needed attention to the violence of state-led megaprojects in Asia’s contemporary cities. The challenges of “predatory urbanism” examined in Qatar, Malaysia, and India are not harbingers of change; they are the change.’
– Natalie Koch, Syracuse University, US