Description
The Perverted City
Book Summary
This essay analyzes the urban transformation of Valencia over the last twenty-five years, revealing how major planning operations have reconfigured the city. Through the study of four key neighborhoods, the work explores the tension between a city that is affirmed and one that is denied, examining the evolution of public spaces, the dynamics of social inequality, and citizens' expectations. The book offers a documented critique of the so-called 'Valencian formula,' an urban management model that, according to the authors, prioritized the interests of the local economic elite over collective well-being, accompanied by dreamlike narratives that dazzled the population.
What is it about?
The book starts from the urban evolution of Valencia to examine the impact of major interventions on the city as a whole and on four specific neighborhoods: Carme, Mercat, Cabanyal-Canyamelar, and Penya-roja (Avenida de Francia). Based on the notions of the affirmed city and the denied city, the authors address how sociability has developed in public spaces, the dynamics of differentiation and social inequality, and the representations that residents have of their neighborhoods. It analyzes the 'Valencian formula,' a set of urban, fiscal, and political solutions and rules that, according to the research, benefited the local economic elite and financial capital to the detriment of the urban reality of the majority of citizens. The work also examines how this praxis was accompanied by the promotion of idealized narratives and images that generated both social support and resistance.
Main topics
- Urban planning and the transformation of the city of Valencia.
- Social inequality and differentiation dynamics in urban neighborhoods.
- Critique of the urban management model known as the 'Valencian formula.'
- Relationship between political power, economic elite, and urban development.
- Public spaces, sociability, and citizen representations.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at professionals in urban planning, social and cultural anthropology, sociology, and geography, as well as students of these disciplines. It is also of interest to readers concerned with urban planning, municipal management, and local development policies, especially those seeking to critically understand the transformation processes of contemporary cities.
What this book provides
- A detailed and critical analysis of a real urban management model, based on the case of Valencia.
- An interdisciplinary perspective that combines urban planning, anthropology, and sociology.
- Concrete case studies in four neighborhoods, which allow for understanding the local consequences of major urban planning operations.
- A reflection on how official narratives can influence the perception and acceptance of urban projects.
Technical specifications
- Author: Cucó i Giner, Josepa; et al.
- Publisher: Anthropos Editorial
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Landscaping and urban planning, literary essays, anthropology, social and cultural anthropology, ethnography, urban and municipal planning
- Collection: Cuadernos a nuevos territorios
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2013
- Number of pages: 256
- Dimensions: Not specified
- Weight: 450 g
Editorial review
This is a rigorous and well-documented work that offers a critical look at a controversial model of urban development. Its focus on the study of specific neighborhoods provides an ethnographic dimension that enriches the analysis, and its ability to connect political decisions with social consequences makes it a relevant read for those studying or working in urban planning and municipal policies.