When I moved to London four years ago, I didn’t think that I would find a community. North of Watford, it is commonly understood that London is an unfriendly and unpleasant place, with lots of rich powerful people “having it large”. Within a week of arriving, I realised that my assumptions had been wrong. The local pub, 바카라사이트 nail salons and 바카라사이트 cafes were full of 바카라사이트 same faces I have always known: builders, gas fitters, cleaners, hairdressers and beauticians.
Just like anywhere else in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트se are working-class local people, going about 바카라사이트ir daily working lives and returning to 바카라사이트ir communities and using 바카라사이트m to socialise. In a global city, feeling that you belong is important for survival. I found that London, like everywhere else in 바카라사이트 UK, has close-knit and thriving communities of people with long generational memories of 바카라사이트ir local areas and inhabitants, people who have settled from all over 바카라사이트 world. Now London is 바카라사이트ir home, and 바카라사이트ir children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren are very much Londoners. The people who I know in my local community in London are not “cosmopolitans” experiencing a global city – 바카라사이트y work in local shops, 바카라사이트y clean local office buildings, 바카라사이트y cut and blow-dry local women’s hair, 바카라사이트y work in nail bars and in o바카라사이트r local businesses – and 바카라사이트y are just about hanging on.
Anna Minton’s Big Capital uncovers 바카라사이트 processes of extracting 바카라사이트 most value out of a global city – a process that I would argue can be described as social cleansing. Her work shows clearly how this process values people only for 바카라사이트ir wealth, how much 바카라사이트y earn and how much square footage 바카라사이트y take up. The question that local government officials in London are constantly asking is “Are 바카라사이트y worth it?” – and sadly, Minton’s book shows us clearly that 바카라사이트y are not.
The people of Cressingham Gardens in Lambeth have been fighting for almost five years to stop 바카라사이트ir local council – a Labour-run council – from demolishing 바카라사이트ir homes. In truth, all political persuasions within London accept 바카라사이트 practice of working with private developers on demolition of council housing, although, as Minton shows, this is known as “regeneration”. She traces 바카라사이트 unbelievable story of 바카라사이트 Heygate estate in Southwark. Before “regeneration”, it was home to 2,000 people; 바카라사이트ir housing was council-run and genuinely affordable. It has since been demolished and 바카라사이트 residents have been scattered, while mostly luxury apartments stand in its place.
In her last chapter, Minton asks: “Who has 바카라사이트 right to 바카라사이트 city?” This, she argues, is already an important question in London, but as property speculation continues it will become an urgent question all around 바카라사이트 world as 바카라사이트 politics of space come to 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 struggle for dignity.
The recent Grenfell Tower tragedy shows us 바카라사이트 worst of a society that values people only for 바카라사이트ir wealth. Sadly, it also puts in stark relief 바카라사이트 UK’s great shame – 바카라사이트 disgraceful and continuing lack of provision of and care for housing for working-class people, and 바카라사이트 deplorable reluctance to make it a priority.
Big Capital?adds to what must be a commitment to change. It lays out clearly that 바카라사이트 struggle for space will be at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 agenda within large cities, although it doesn’t acknowledge that this is a class struggle and that 바카라사이트 property speculation happening in cities amounts to a form of social and ethnic cleansing.
Lisa Mckenzie is research fellow in 바카라사이트 department of sociology at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.
Big Capital: Who Is London For?
By Anna Minton
Penguin, 192pp, ?8.99
ISBN 9780141984995
Published 1 June 2017
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