Overview
Sheds light on the current state of Czech civil society and its relationship with the neoliberal urban development
Contributes to literature on post-socialist social movements - an emerging and rapidly expanding field
Provides a fresh contribution to the fields of social movement studies, urban studies, anthropology of post-socialism and critical geography
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Table of contents (4 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
This book focuses on urban grassroots movements in post-socialist Czechia and their struggle against unprofessional and nondemocratic urban processes in their cities. It shows that in the context of neoliberal urban restructuring, weakly consolidated democracy, and corporate capture of the local state, urban activists often resort to entering electoral competition as the only efficient way of improving the situation in their cities. The book is based on four case studies from different Czech cities, narrating stories of activists struggling against a controversial flood protection project, the demolition of public buildings, an unhealthy land-use plan, arrogant development, and overpriced city halls. It offers valuable insight into the obstacles created by institutionalized forms of power abuse which urban activists must deal with and discusses the pro-democratic potential of urban grassroot movements’ efforts to overcome their limited ability to influence political processes via standard means of civic engagement and protest activities.
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About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Contested Czech Cities
Book Subtitle: From Urban Grassroots to Pro-democratic Populism
Authors: Michaela Pixová
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9709-8
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore
eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-32-9708-1Published: 27 November 2019
Softcover ISBN: 978-981-32-9711-1Published: 27 November 2020
eBook ISBN: 978-981-32-9709-8Published: 15 November 2019
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVII, 186
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 22 illustrations in colour
Topics: Human Geography, Urban Studies/Sociology, Urban Geography / Urbanism (inc. megacities, cities, towns), European Politics, Social Anthropology