Cities and Sovereignty: Identity Politics in Urban Spaces - pocketboek

Cities have long been associated with diversity and tolerance, but fromJerusalem to Belfast to the Basque Country, many of the most intractable conflictsof the past century have played out in urban spaces. The contributors to thisinterdisciplinary volume examine the interrelationships of ethnic, racial, religious, or other identity conflicts and larger battles over sovereignty andgovernance. Under what conditions do identity conflicts undermine the legitimacy andpower of nation-states, empires, or urban authorities? Does the urban builtenvironment play a role in remedying or exacerbating such conflicts? Employingcomparative analysis, these case studies from the Middle East, Europe, and South andSoutheast Asia advance our understanding of the origins and nature of urbanconflict.