Dance with Glauthoritarian Urbanization: An Entrepreneurial Megacity in the Making through the Lenses of Civic Organizations
Abstract
Through the lens of grassroots civic organizations, this article explores the intricate urbanization processes of entrepreneurial megacities. We introduce the concept of "glauthoritarian urbanization" to characterize the co-presence of global market orientation, entrepreneurial city branding, and persistent authoritarian governance. Drawing on empirical fieldwork, we analyze how civic networks navigate spatial reconfigurations, balance developer and state pressures, and secure community agency inside developing global hubs.
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Research Question
How do civic organizations survive, negotiate, and define community space in megacities undergoing simultaneous global market integration and state-led authoritarian development?
Main Argument
We propose the concept of "glauthoritarian urbanization." In this framework, global capital flows and authoritarian governance are not contradictory; they reinforce each other in megacity developments. Civic organizations operate in a highly precarious "dance"—they cannot fully resist state policies, nor can they submit to total control. Instead, they exploit state-encouraged entrepreneurial frameworks to carve out local governance roles and build community resilience.
Methods and Data
Qualitative case study approach, utilizing in-depth ethnographic fieldwork, observations of municipal planning projects, and interviews with grassroots organizers and urban planning authorities in a major Chinese megacity.
Key Findings
- Global megacity projects merge capitalistic growth drives with centralized bureaucratic authority.
- Grassroots organizations survive by reinterpreting administrative language, framing community interests as compatible with entrepreneurial goals.
- Civic agency shifts from open political advocacy to localized spatial management and resource brokering.
Contribution
Provides a new lens on authoritarian civil society, urban political economy, and global cities. It bridges the gap between global urban studies and studies of authoritarian institutional resilience.
Citation & Formats
Long, Y., & Luo, W. (2022). Dance with Glauthoritarian Urbanization: An Entrepreneurial Megacity in the Making through the Lenses of Civic Organizations. Global Perspectives, 3(1), 36047. https://doi.org/10.1525/gp.2022.36047
Long, Yan, and Wei Luo. "Dance with Glauthoritarian Urbanization: An Entrepreneurial Megacity in the Making through the Lenses of Civic Organizations." Global Perspectives 3, no. 1 (2022): 36047. doi:10.1525/gp.2022.36047.
@article{long2022dance,
title={Dance with Glauthoritarian Urbanization: An Entrepreneurial Megacity in the Making through the Lenses of Civic Organizations},
author={Long, Yan and Luo, Wei},
journal={Global Perspectives},
volume={3},
number={1},
pages={36047},
year={2022},
publisher={University of California Press},
doi={10.1525/gp.2022.36047}
}