Slides from the April 19, 2010 meeting at The Public School New York, as part of Democracy + Public Spade.

1. Neoliberalism
Cities, Space, Surplus
Democracy + Public Space
The Public School New York
April 19, 2010
Craig Willse
cwillse@gmail.com

3. Meeting Goals
• Develop our understanding of neoliberalism in terms
of its ideological, political and historical meanings.
• Think about what neoliberalism means for the space
of the city and the space of the nation-state.
• Strategize about what spaces of social justice -
especially in response to the intersections of
poverty, sexual and gender regulation, and racism -
can look like in the contemporary neoliberal
context.

5. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

6. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

7. Introductions
• Name
• Preferred gender pronouns
• Something that you’re up to, for
example: project you’re working on,
question you’re thinking about, or a
book you read and want to tell
everyone about, etc.

8. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

9. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

11. Neoliberalism

12. Neoliberalism
• Ideological - a set of ideas about the “best”
relationship between the economy and government.

13. Neoliberalism
• Ideological - a set of ideas about the “best”
relationship between the economy and government.
• Political - social and economic reforms that put the
ideas of neoliberalism into practice.

14. Neoliberalism
• Ideological - a set of ideas about the “best”
relationship between the economy and government.
• Political - social and economic reforms that put the
ideas of neoliberalism into practice.
• Historical - an era characterized by the dominance of
neoliberal political projects (roll-back and roll-out).

16. Neoliberal Ideas

17. Neoliberal Ideas
• The economy will prosper if left alone, and a
prosperous economy is good for the people.

18. Neoliberal Ideas
• The economy will prosper if left alone, and a
prosperous economy is good for the people.
• Individuals bear responsibility for their poverty,
and governments should not foster
“dependence” on social programs.

19. Neoliberal Ideas
• The economy will prosper if left alone, and a
prosperous economy is good for the people.
• Individuals bear responsibility for their poverty,
and governments should not foster
“dependence” on social programs.
• Economic rationales should be applied to social
programs: competition, cost-benefits analysis,
measurable outcomes.

24. Other Examples?

26. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?

27. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies

28. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies
• In “developing” world (aka former colonies of
US and European empires): structural
adjustment programs that cut social spending

29. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies
• In “developing” world (aka former colonies of
US and European empires): structural
adjustment programs that cut social spending
• In US: shift of industrial production out of US,
and growth of domestic service and knowledge
industries; workfare

30. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies
• In “developing” world (aka former colonies of
US and European empires): structural
adjustment programs that cut social spending
• In US: shift of industrial production out of US,
and growth of domestic service and knowledge
industries; workfare
• Increasing economic polarization

31. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies
• In “developing” world (aka former colonies of
US and European empires): structural
adjustment programs that cut social spending
• In US: shift of industrial production out of US,
and growth of domestic service and knowledge
industries; workfare
• Increasing economic polarization
• Growth of surplus populations

32. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies
• In “developing” world (aka former colonies of
US and European empires): structural
adjustment programs that cut social spending
• In US: shift of industrial production out of US,
and growth of domestic service and knowledge
industries; workfare
• Increasing economic polarization
• Growth of surplus populations
• Expansion of “security” industries - police,
prisons, military occupation

33. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like?
• Free market policies
• In “developing” world (aka former colonies of
US and European empires): structural
adjustment programs that cut social spending
• In US: shift of industrial production out of US,
and growth of domestic service and knowledge
industries; workfare
• Increasing economic polarization
• Growth of surplus populations
• Expansion of “security” industries - police,
prisons, military occupation
• Expanding power of supranational governance
bodies

35. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?

36. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations

37. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations
• Dominance of consumerism

38. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations
• Dominance of consumerism
• “Quality of life” crackdowns

39. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations
• Dominance of consumerism
• “Quality of life” crackdowns
• More cops, and more militarized policing

40. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations
• Dominance of consumerism
• “Quality of life” crackdowns
• More cops, and more militarized policing
• Growth of private security forces in quasi-
public spaces

41. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations
• Dominance of consumerism
• “Quality of life” crackdowns
• More cops, and more militarized policing
• Growth of private security forces in quasi-
public spaces
• Growth of non-profit sector

42. What Does Neoliberalism Look Like
in the City?
• Selling off of public space to private
corporations
• Dominance of consumerism
• “Quality of life” crackdowns
• More cops, and more militarized policing
• Growth of private security forces in quasi-
public spaces
• Growth of non-profit sector
• Intensification of racialized economic
exploitation and racial wealth gap

43. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

44. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

45. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?

46. Neoliberalism: Cities, Space, Surplus
I. Introduce ourselves
II. What do we mean by neoliberalism?
III. Break-out groups: cities, states, politics
- Harvey, Peck & Tickell
IV. The making of gay urban enclaves
- Hanhardt
V. What do we want to think about next?