Urban Warfare: Housing under the Empire of Finance

The financialization of housing has become a global crisis, with models of home ownership exported around the world. This neoliberal colonialism is experienced on the scale of the city and within our everyday lives. Rolnik argues that housing remains an essential, and global, struggle and calls for activism and resistance.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 384 pages
\n Publication date: 26 March 2019
\n Publisher: Verso Books
\n

Urban warfare, as detailed by Rolnik, unveils the profound transformation of housing into a global crisis. Originating in the United States and the United Kingdom, models of home ownership have been swiftly exported across the world. This global expansion was orchestrated by those who stand to gain the most: construction companies, banks, and government-facilitated schemes, such as the right to buy, subsidies, and micro-financing. Through a comprehensive analysis, Rolnik illustrates how our homes and neighborhoods have become the latest frontiers of capitalism, particularly in countries like Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Chile, Israel, Haiti, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. This neoliberal colonialism manifests at both the urban and individual levels. However, since the financial crisis and the broader urban politics that have resulted in homelessness and forced displacement, these narratives have converged with theoretical reflections and empirical evidence to shed light on the crisis's intricacies.

In response, Rolnik underscores the urgent political imperative for activism and resistance. Delving into the June Days protests in Rio, 2013-14, she demonstrates that housing remains a fundamental and global struggle. The protests serve as a poignant reminder that the fight for affordable and secure housing is an ongoing battle that transcends borders.

\n Weight: 580g\n
Dimension: 155 x 233 x 27 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781788731607\n \n