Looking comparatively at displacement and resistance to gentrification in Latin American cities

ABSTRACT

Taking the articles in this special issue as a starting point, this commentary makes an intervention in the debate surrounding postcolonialism, particularism, abstraction and theorisation. The author argues that critical urban studies can benefit from the comparative turn while still maintaining a theoretical compass with the ultimate aim to overcome urban injustices across the world. Indeed, critical comparative urban work, as displayed by the editors and authors of this special issue, can be the key to circulating, translating and adopting debates on urban justice across different geographical contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Latin America
• gentrification
• comparative urbanism
• displacement
• critical urban theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. There is however emerging research on resistance to gentrification and displacement in London (González & Dawson, 2015; for resistance to retail gentrification, Lees & Ferreri, 2016; see special feature of the City journal on London’s Housing crisis and its activisms).