Abstract
Smith (1996: 230–232) characterized the latetwentieth century crusade for a ‘‘new urbanfrontier’’ as akin to the Wild West ofnineteenth century America. In the last tenyears, not only in the North American contextbut in Europe too, extending the boundaries ofthe urban frontier – economically,politically, and culturally – has galvanizedpowerful urban coalitions in the task ofre-taking – both ideologically and materially– city spaces from the visible and symbolicelements of urban degeneration. The project ofurban reclamation has not been neutral but hasbeen formulated within a post welfare,neoliberal politics that has promoted aideology of self responsibilisation within aclimate of moral indifference to increasinglyvisible inequality. These ideological shiftshave been fuelled by, and consolidated in, anevolving form of state ensemble that, as arapidly moving target (Hay 1996: 3), has beenlargely neglected in criminological analysis.It is the contention of this paper that theagents and agencies of the neoliberal state areconstructing the boundaries and possibilitiesof the new urban frontier while simultaneouslyengaging in a project of social control thatwill have far-reaching consequences for how weunderstand the meanings of public space, socialjustice and the parameters of state power.
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Coleman, R. Images from a Neoliberal City: The State, Surveillance and Social Control. Crit Crim 12, 21–42 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CRIT.0000024443.08828.d8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CRIT.0000024443.08828.d8