Reading Development

Random readings on society, politics and change – Jorge Carrillo

Vertical informality: The case of Kufr Aqab in East Jerusalem

This paper explores the phenomenon of vertical informality, an under-studied form of informal housing at large scale, and the role of developers within vertical informality. We investigate the case of … Continue reading

Saturday, 9 April 2022 · Leave a comment

Cities and the SDGs: Realities and possibilities of local engagement in global frameworks

City action is critical to achieving global visions for sustainability such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, SDG ‘localisation’ is complex procedure, with divergent outcomes depending on context … Continue reading

Monday, 7 March 2022 · Leave a comment

Urban informality, politics and power in Egypt

“The Egyptian military regime of Abd al-Fattah el-Sisi has announced as part of its Vision 2030 its intention to eliminate informal urban areas. The regime has identified these areas – … Continue reading

Sunday, 27 February 2022 · Leave a comment

Southern Theory without a North: City Conceptualization as the Theoretical Metropolis

There have been calls to broaden urban theory to incorporate learnings from the Southern or ordinary cities (periphery). These calls are often placed as a counter to the hegemony of … Continue reading

Thursday, 24 February 2022 · Leave a comment

Formalising and Informalising Labour in Vietnam

Originally posted on JCA:
Joe Buckley is an independent researcher, based in United Kingdom, with a recent SOAS PhD. His new article for JCA is “Formalising and Informalising Labour in…

Tuesday, 15 February 2022 · Leave a comment

Is urbanisation in the Global South fundamentally different? Comparative global urban analysis for the 21st century

A vigorous debate has emerged in recent years over how to understand cities of the Global South. A pivotal issue in this debate is whether urbanisation processes in the South … Continue reading

Monday, 14 February 2022 · Leave a comment

Globalizing the Sociology of Gentrification

This article engages the debate around the utility of the gentrification concept outside of postindustrial Northern cities. It argues that, in contrast to geographers and other interdisciplinary urbanists, many US-based … Continue reading

Sunday, 23 January 2022 · Leave a comment

Job creation or Informality reduction – The effects of subsidizing social security contributions

This paper evaluates the impact of an employment subsidy scheme covering employers’ social contribution costs on registered employment in small firms in Turkey. It utilizes a rich, firm-level administrative data … Continue reading

Friday, 21 January 2022 · Leave a comment

Informal work in sub-Saharan Africa – Dead end or stepping-stone?

Despite rapid economic growth in recent decades, informality remains a persistent phenomenon in the labor markets of many low- and middle-income countries. A key issue in this regard concerns the … Continue reading

Thursday, 20 January 2022 · Leave a comment