Urban Renewal and Governance Dynamics in Neoliberal Contexts

Urban renewal under neoliberalism encompasses market-driven redevelopment strategies, public–private partnerships and state interventions that prioritise competitiveness and capital accumulation over social equity. Governance dynamics have shifted from top-down, bureaucratic planning towards entrepreneurial forms of spatial management in which municipalities, private developers and civil society actors negotiate priorities through policy networks and multi-scalar arrangements. This transformation often entails the commodification of land, selective investment in flagship projects and the displacement of marginal communities, generating debates over spatial justice and democratic participation. Yet recent research highlights the capacity of organised local collectives to re-politicise governance processes, enact commoning practices and leverage policy networks to shape outcomes. Comparative studies from Eurasia to Latin America reveal variegated urban trajectories, demonstrating how ideological contests, institutional legacies and grassroots agency intersect to produce distinctive renewal pathways. Insights into grassroots self-organisation, state-led branding of housing developments and collective resistance in contested neighbourhoods underscore the necessity of integrating social inclusion, ecological resilience and participatory governance into urban policy. Such integration is essential to mitigate displacement, foster equitable access to amenities and support sustainable urban futures in an era of intensifying market pressures.

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Urban Renewal and Governance Dynamics in Neoliberal Contexts publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in urban renewal and governance dynamics in neoliberal contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Neoliberalism: Political-economic paradigm privileging free markets, deregulation and entrepreneurial state intervention in urban policy.

Urban renewal: Redevelopment processes aimed at regenerating built environments, often involving public–private partnerships and infrastructure investment.

Spatial justice: Principle demanding equitable distribution of urban resources, rights and opportunities across social groups and territories.

Gentrification: Socio-economic transformation of neighbourhoods driven by capital influx, leading to rising property values and resident displacement.

Commoning: Collective management and shared use of urban spaces or resources by communities to foster mutual support and resist commodification.

References

1. From entrepreneurial to responsive spatial governance: Unveiling innovative strategies of self-organization in Istanbul. Cities (2024).
2. The role of the state in the commodification of urban space: The case of branded housing projects, Istanbul. European Urban and Regional Studies (2020).
3. The Refugees’ Right to the Center of the City and Spatial Justice: Gentrification vs Commoning Practices in Tarlabaşı-Istanbul. Urban Planning (2020).