Neoliberal Urban Movements?: A Geography of Conflict and Mobilisation over Urban Renaissance in Antwerp, Belgium

Abstract

This chapter maps new forms of contentious mobilisation around neoliberal urban policies in Antwerp, Belgium. Neoliberal urban policies are confronted with the uneasy task to match local competitiveness with collective provision and social cohesion. The upgrading of the built environment offers the opportunity to integrate both aspirations, but simultaneously provides people with a concrete focus for mobilisation. Building on Urban Social Movement theory, we identify 5 types of urban mobilisation, each with its own geography linked to particular types of urban development projects. Although our analysis reveals how neoliberal urban development projects spur strong grassroots reactions, these remain fragmented and do not form part of a broad-based urban movement worthy of the name. Neoliberal urban development projects appear too divisive for the local populace to provide a basis for broad based collective mobilisation.