![Sample our Urban Studies journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110826/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Urban-Studies.jpg"})
Abstract
Is there a crisis in urban studies and particularly in urban theory? Two recent exchanges in City, the first between Alex Schafran and David Madden and the second between Neil Brenner and Christian Schmid and Richard Walker, raise the question of whether there is a crisis in urban studies and particularly urban theory. I argue that there is no need for a radical rethinking of the ontological and/or epistemological foundations of urban studies, but that we might consider the need for new metaphors or figurations that help us think creatively about our urban conditions and the possibilities for political interventions. In particular, I explore the streetwalker, the nomad and the weed and discuss two cases on the ground: Kigali, Rwanda and Chester, Pennsylvania, USA.
Acknowledgements
I thank my fellow panelists (Bob Catterall, Adam Elliot-Cooper and Antonis Vradis) and the audience at the 2015 meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Chicago, where I presented a much shorter version of this work as well as Bob Catterall and Kurt Iveson for their comments on the longer version.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 I thank Kurt Iveson for comments that both extended and clarified my point here.
2 I thank Kurt Iveson for his insights on the relevance of this case to my critique of Brenner and Schmid.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Sharon M. Meagher
Sharon M. Meagher, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Humanities, Widener University in Chester, PA, USA. Email: [email protected]