Contestations Over Urban Space in Contemporary Asian Cities

This project aims to study contemporary Asian cities by examining how their urban spaces are represented culturally and contested politically. As Asia undergoes a rapid process of urbanization and gentrification, the claims on urban space have been multiplying. Whether it is the capitalist growth machine, common people’s livelihoods and homes, symbols of national belonging or local identification, these claims hinge on different interpretations of urban space. The competition over space has subsequently turned urban planning into a highly contested political question and made the city a new political site for a dynamic struggle over rights, agency, and affectivity. My project focuses on such struggles because they are some of the most significant forces shaping our urban future. In this study, I probe into various social movements resisting urban demolition to consider the different claims to space and discourses on urban development. In addition, I look at the representations of urban space in art, literature, and popular culture to investigate how the artistic imagination influences the collective consciousness and attitude toward the city. I specifically focus on moments when art takes a role in social movements to expound on how the struggles are not only about access to space but also about identity, memory, and rights.