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The most comprehensive survey of the current crisis, Urban Warfare charts how the financial crisis and wider urban politics have left millions homeless and in financial desperation across the world.
The financialisation of housing has become a global catastrophe, leaving millions desperate and homeless. Since the 2008 financial collapse, models of home ownership, originating in the US and UK, are being exported around the world. Using examples from across the globe, Rolnik shows how our cities have been sold to construction companies and banks, while supported by government-facilitated schemes, such as “the right to buy” subsidies and micro-financing. Our homes and neighbourhoods have become the “last subprime frontiers of capitalism,” organised by those who benefit the most.
Reviews
“A magisterial survey and analysis of what is fast becoming one of the most compelling global crises of our time.”
“A truly brilliant book”
“The clarity and vehemence of [Urban Warfare] is a tonic for anyone used to the combination of boosterism and sentimentality that marks so much urbanist writing.”
“The power of Rolnik’s book lies in its geographical diversity, the implicit and explicit linkages made between apparently diverse case studies and its political commitment to adequate and accessible housing.”
“At a time when much current academic research on housing and urban studies prioritises the technical and methodological over the conceptual, big data over thick description, the numerous, short vignettes in Rolnik’s book remind us of the effectiveness of a real story to convey a wider message.”
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