Global and Local Spheres: The Diversity of Southeast Asian Urbanism

Abstract

Urbanism in Southeast Asia is often depicted as a process involving the struggle of different actors attempting to consciously shape the city or make an impact through their daily activities. With the rapid expansion of business centres as a result of globalization, the value of land has increased rapidly. It becomes difficult to justify the use of prime land for cheap accommodation, and the eviction of squatters is now a common occurrence in all larger Southeast Asian cities. Responses by the people and the organization of resistance against eviction attempts differ quite markedly among Southeast Asian cities. They vary according to the political and administrative environment as well as the economic, social, and cultural organizational networks existing in kampung and slum areas. Additionally, they are also affected by the processes of globalization, specifically by the emergence and growing importance of the middle class and demands for democratization. In this regard, the analysis of conflicts related to eviction provides an insight into the dynamics of urban politics. As will be shown, this is closely linked to the social organization of slum and kampung communities. Such an analysis highlights the specifics of primate cities in Southeast Asia, which forms an important aspect of urban change often neglected in studies of urban management and urban planning.