Shareholder Cities: Land Transformations Along Urban Corridors in India

Economic corridors in Asia and Africa are redefining urbanization by connecting cities via high-speed superhighways. Sai Balakrishnan's book "Shareholder Cities" argues that some of India's most decisive conflicts over its urban future will unfold in the regions along the new economic corridors, where electorally strong agrarian propertied classes directly encounter financially powerful incoming urban firms. The book explores the production of uneven urban development and the emergence of agrarian propertied classes as protagonists in the making of urban real estate markets. It highlights the possibilities for a democratic politics of inclusion in which agrarian-urban encounters can create opportunities for previously excluded groups to stake new claims for themselves in the corridor regions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 29 August 2023
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Economic corridors, ambitious infrastructural development projects undertaken by newly liberalizing countries in Asia and Africa, are reshaping the landscape of urbanization. These corridors, spanning multiple cities and croplands, connect metropolises via high-speed superhighways, aiming to make certain strategic regions attractive destinations for private investment. As policy makers seek decentralized and market-oriented ways to transfer land from agrarian constituencies to infrastructural promoters and urban developers, tensions are rising over the reallocation of property control. In his book, Shareholder Cities, Sai Balakrishnan argues that some of India's most significant conflicts over its urban future will unfold in the regions along the new economic corridors, where electorally strong agrarian property classes directly confront financially powerful incoming urban firms.

Balakrishnan focuses on the first economic corridor, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and the construction of three new cities along it. The book derives its title from a current mode of resolving agrarian-urban conflicts, where agrarian landowners are being transformed into shareholders in the corridor cities, with distributional implications. By shifting the study of India's contemporary urbanization away from megacities to these in-between corridor regions, Balakrishnan explores the production of uneven urban development that challenges older histories of agrarian capitalism and the emergence of agrarian property-owning classes as key players in shaping urban real estate markets.

Through his insightful analysis, Shareholder Cities offers a valuable perspective on the complex dynamics of urbanization in India and the opportunities for inclusive and democratic development. It highlights the need to address the challenges posed by land transfers and property reallocation, while also recognizing the potential benefits of integrating agrarian and urban sectors. By understanding the dynamics of these economic corridors and the role of different stakeholders, policymakers can work towards creating more equitable and sustainable cities for all.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781512825503