The Speculative City: Emergent Forms and Norms of the Built Environment

"Two kinds of speculation shape cities: Architects and planners conjecture about the future and imagine spatial forms to accommodate it. Investors conjecture about financial returns from projects delivering imagined forms. Governments and markets speculate in both ways and jointly determine the outcome. The chapters in this collection tell compelling stories about this risky dance."

Christopher J. Webster, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong

"The Speculative City stands out for its geographical scope across six world regions and its focus on the physical environment, which has often been marginalized in urban studies. This collection is a must-read for students looking for inspiring paths that lead to meaningful places."

You-tien Hsing, Professor of Geography and Chair of Global Studies, University of California, Berkeley

"Andrew Carnegie said that speculation was a parasite ‘feeding upon values, creating none.’ That may still be true, but as the contributors to this first-rate collection show, the values upon which contemporary urban speculation feeds are as much cultural as they are economic, and they are incredibly diverse rather than singular. Combining interdisciplinary perspectives and a wide array of cases from around the world, The Speculative City presents fresh and original takes on this age-old phenomenon, from urban megaprojects to the subdivision of apartments, and much in between."

Jamie Peck, Canada Research Chair in Urban and Regional Political Economy, University of British Columbia