The role of the city in expanding and preserving political autonomy: A capability theory

The late twentieth and early twenty-first century saw a rapid expansion of city populations. Concurrently, a wave of intensified globalisation occurred, propelled in good part by the confluence of substantial technological development and ideological shifts that affected the relationships of nation-states and capital. Together, these phenomena indicate a radical reshaping of power, which threatens the possibility of holding political autonomy locally. This thesis draws on theoretical and empirical material to illustrate why this is the case, and also why it is so problematic. The city is shown to be a key site involved in this shift of power as well as having an impact on human flourishing. By reframing the goals of the city in light of this shifting landscape, we can develop the ability of the city to preserve and expand space for opportunities necessary for the practice and development of political autonomy. The thesis uses the capability approach to frame the importance of political autonomy. By showing this, we can see why the current global phenomenon is problematic and in turn how we might reframe the ends of the city. The capability approach highlights why such an ability to have some control over one’s political environment is important and thus a concern that requires greater scholarly attention. To ground these conceptual ideas in practice, this thesis will further examine how global forces have affected the capacity of individuals in London as well as through an exploration of housing policy from other cities. By doing so, this thesis shows alternatives to the London and similar city models, indicating the importance of cities for citizens’ wellbeing, how political autonomy in cities is under threat from globalisation, and how a refraining of the city in light of capability theory might help mitigate this threat.