Neil Brenner
In this fascinating book, Jason Hackworth explores the new geographies of inequality, exclusion and displacement that have been forged within U.S. cities during the last three decades of worldwide urban restructuring. Written in an accessible style and grounded upon an impressive assemblage of empirical evidence, The Neoliberal City will be an essential resource for anyone concerned to decipher the contemporary urban condition in the United States. The book provides, simultaneously, a serious engagement with key strands of contemporary critical urban theory, an illuminating exploration of several spheres of contemporary urban restructuring and a nuanced analysis of on-the-ground sociospatial changes and struggles in several major U.S. cities. The book will become an essential reference point in future debates on the nature of neoliberalized urbanization and in ongoing scholarly efforts to decipher the restlessly changing landscape of post-Keynesian urbanization both in the USA and beyond.
Joe Painter
Drawing from geography, urban studies, and political science, The Neoliberal City is a good introduction to many debates in those disciplines and to some important arguments about the neoliberal city. Jason Hackworth's discussion of liberalism and neoliberalism is particularly valuable for its clarity and because it provides a punchy and well-argued account of the intellectual development of neoliberalism. By focusing on the roles of bond-rating agencies, real-estate agents, developers, and public housing authorities, Jason Hackworth successfully reveals the internal processes of neoliberalism in action.
Susan E. Clarke
Jason Hackworth grounds theories of neoliberalism in an astute analysis of urban governance, urban development, and social movements in cities. His empirical studies demonstrate that neoliberal processes are more contingent and more context-sensitive than abstract theorizations might suggest. The Neoliberal City makes a persuasive case that it is hard to understand contemporary cities without a more nuanced view of neoliberalism.