Beyond southern urbanism? Imagining an urban geography of a world of cities

Abstract

Urban geography has increasingly considered southern cities as important locations from which to develop urban theory. We build this wider movement and recent scholarship to continue opening urban geography to southern cities, scholars and ideas generated from the south. Here, we draw on the experiences of mentoring and being students from the global south. We think through the strategic importance of the south as a term and a political alliance, as well as some limitations of doing so; we hope for a future in which the term is needed less. We then think through the role of critical analysis and particularly socio-political scholarship and make observations about the difficulties of doing such work in southern contexts. We strive to create and contribute to an urban geography that rigorously develops ideas from anywhere and is mindful of the ongoing significance of the politics of knowledge in and outside the academy.