Wiley-Blackwell Cities in Relations: Trajectories of Urban Development in Hanoi and Ouagadougou (IJURR Studies in Urban and Social Change Book Series)

Cities in Relations advances a novel way of thinking about urban transformation by focusing on transnational relations in the least developed countries.Examines the last 20 years of urban development in Hanoi, Vietnam, and in Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoConsiders the ways in which a city’s relationships with other places influences its urban developmentProvides fresh ideas for comparative urban studies that move beyond discussions of economic and policy factorsOffers a clear and concise narrative accompanied by more than 45 photos and maps Review “This would be especially valuable in continuing the study of urban developments in the post-communist environment.”  (Geographica Helvetica, 1 May 2015) Review ‘Cities in Relations is a book of immense methodological and political importance. At a time when neoliberalism and globalization are thought to shape much of urban life, Ola Söderström offers a more imaginative way to grasp what is distinctive about worldly cities. The book is an invitation to urban studies to think again about the bases for comparison in a world where cities beyond the West have to negotiate different ways of being global.’ —John Allen, Professor of Economic Geography, The Open University, UK'The idea that urbanism is relational is by now taken for granted, but what is far less common are detailed accounts of the forms, politics and implications of relationality, especially for cities too often neglected in urban theory. Through detailed and nuanced discussion of two quite different contexts – Hanoi and Ouagadougou - Söderström’s rigorous and lively book provides an insightful investigation of the variegated and increasingly translocal politics of urban development, and offers important contributions to debates on both relational and comparative urbanism.’  —Colin McFarlane, Reader in Human Geography, Durham University, UK From the Inside Flap For many years, globalization has been considered insignificant in the least developed countries. Remedying this error, Cities in Relations advances a novel way of thinking about urban transformation by focusing on transnational relations in these places. By examining urban change in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, over the last 20 years, this volume considers the ways in which a city’s relationships with other places influence its urban development. It shows how pervasive and variegated transnational relations are today in places that were ‘relation-poor’ only two decades ago. The author provides new ideas for comparative urban studies and moves the discussion beyond reductive examinations of economic and policy factors. Uniting disparate approaches—from urban ethnography to urban policy mobility to the geography of architecture—and focusing on ‘ordinary’ cities that are often overlooked, this study conceives of urban change in a fresh and exciting way. From the Back Cover For many years, globalization has been considered insignificant in the least developed countries. Remedying this error, Cities in Relations advances a novel way of thinking about urban transformation by focusing on transnational relations in these places. By examining urban change in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, over the last 20 years, this volume considers the ways in which a city’s relationships with other places influence its urban development. It shows how pervasive and variegated transnational relations are today in places that were ‘relation-poor’ only two decades ago. The author provides new ideas for comparative urban studies and moves the discussion beyond reductive examinations of economic and policy factors. Uniting disparate approaches—from urban ethnography to urban policy mobility to the geography of architecture—and focusing on ‘ordinary’ cities that are often overlooked, this study conceives of urban change in a fresh and exciting way. About the Author Ola Söderström is Professor