Rescaling Urban Poverty: Homelessness, State Restructuring and City Politics in Japan

In his book "Rescaling Urban Poverty," Mahito Hayashi examines the rescaled geographies of homelessness in contemporary Japanese cities, comparing them to international contexts. He offers new theoretical perspectives on emergent forms of urban marginality and their contestation, drawing from regulationist political economy and place-based research.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2023
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

In his groundbreaking book, Mahito Hayashi delves into the rescaled geographies of homelessness that have emerged in contemporary Japanese cities. Through an innovative blend of regulationist political economy and immersive place-based research, Hayashi situates urban homelessness in Japan within comparative-international contexts. This comprehensive work offers fresh theoretical perspectives to unravel the emerging forms of urban marginality and their ongoing contestations.

Tracing the shifting spatial strategies of unhoused individuals as they carve out spaces of emancipation within Japanese cities, Rescaling Urban Poverty is a unique and valuable contribution to the study of the geographies of urban social movements.

Attending to the intricate complexities of contentious class politics and livelihoods barely sustained by survival economies, Rescaling Urban Poverty offers a profound exploration of the oppressive effects of rescaling and its limitations in the interplay between the state, domiciled society, public space, urban class relations, social movements, and capitalism.

Utilizing ethnography as a re-ontologizing medium of critical theorization, the book draws upon the rich insights of Lefebvrian, Gramscian, Harveyan, and other Marxian strands to develop robust context-based and field-based arguments about social movements, poverty, housing policy, and public space formation in Japan.

Unveiling the radical geographies of placemaking, commoning, and translation, Hayashi highlights the potential for creating prohomeless urban spaces that challenge the dominant narratives of homelessness and inequality.

Through his meticulous research and insightful analysis, Mahito Hayashi provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex dynamics shaping urban poverty and homelessness in contemporary societies. Rescaling Urban Poverty is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and activists seeking to address these pressing social issues and promote more inclusive and equitable cities.

Weight: 539g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781119691020