Abstract/Summary

Global urbanism refers to the global challenges and urban conditions of cities in diverse geographical contexts and it critiques hegemonic and Euro-centric representations that have shaped urban scholarship. As an area of study, global urbanism focuses on critical discussions of urban theory, global policy agendas, and contemporary issues that have framed the ways in which cities are researched, represented, and positioned in a global landscape. Focusing on cities in the global South, global urbanism addresses calls for a more universal understanding of cities across the globe and the importance of developing policies for sustainable cities and communities. Global urbanism incorporates concepts of comparative, relational, and Southern urbanism that have become an increasingly important feature of urban geographical scholarship over recent decades. There is also a focus on the distinct challenges presented to scholars and practitioners in cities of the Global South, including large informal economies, slum housing, and precarious livelihoods, with attention to gender and youth sensitive analyses of the lived experiences of urbanism. Global urbanism requires methodological shifts, particularly in relation to opportunities offered by participation and co-production that will enable researchers to translate the concept of relational urbanism into urban policies for developing sustainable cities in diverse global contexts.