Topics: Cities for Social Justice: Municipalist Movements & Global Solidarity

Catalog description

In the face of issues of shared global concern-climate change, migration, increasing economic inequality and the rise of far-right and authoritarian political movements in both the Global North and South-cities have stepped to the forefront to combat these shared social ills and to form networks of ''fearless cities," "solidarity cities," and "cities of refuge," often in direct opposition to the national governments that oversee them. Symbolized by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, the Fearless Cities network, the International Cities of Refuge Network (!CORN) and the C40 Cities for Climate Action, this urban network holds the potential. some sociologists and urban theorists believe, to protect freedom of expression, enhance democracy and human rights, to combat climate change and to help build a sustainable future that transcends national borders. This course will examine such initiatives by providing an overview of the global municipalist movement, assessing its goals and successes In the realms of climate action, migration and economic democracy, and assessing its potential for building the "right to the city" long-promised by the larger urban studies and sociological literature.