Yves Cabannes - Böcker

This book examines the active role of urban citizens in constructing alternative urban spaces as tangible resistance towards capitalist production of urban spaces that continue to encroach various neighborhoods, lanes, commons, public land and other spaces of community life and livelihoods. The collection of narratives presented here brings together research from ten different Asian cities and re-theorises the city from the perspective of ordinary people facing moments of crisis, contestations, and cooperative quests to create alternative spaces to those being produced under prevailing urban processes. The chapters accent the exercise of human agency through daily practices in the production of urban space and the intention is not one of creating a romantic or utopian vision of what a city by and for the people ought to be. Rather, it is to place people in the centre as mediators of city-making with discontents about current conditions and desires for a better life. This book examines the active role of citizens in constructing alternative urban spaces as tangible resistance towards capitalist production of space that continues to encroach various neighborhoods.

The notion of intangible heritage as a key urban element is underexplored, yet inherently intertwined with urban life that can influence and be influenced by urban policies and practices. This book undertakes the fundamentally interdisciplinary tasks of conceptualizing intangible heritage and recognizing communities' roles as its stewards.From celebration of new years to cultural expressions in daily life, such as religious practices, music and food, intangible heritage is an integral part of communities and individual lives, often considered a natural extension of their ‘being’. Cultural practices are intertwined with human existence. Traditions and cultural expressions do not happen in isolation; they are conditioned by socio-cultural and urban spatiality.The book offers compelling narratives, explorations, and testimonies on the intangible nature of heritage, and it highlights the challenge of the invisibility of heritage in urban discussions. This volume unpacks links between space, community, and heritage and interconnections between cities, urban characteristics, and the intangible heritage of communities in both normal and disastrous contexts. Contributions offer innovative and exploratory methods and representations of under-explored cases, balancing practical strategies and policy-oriented approaches with storytelling and experiential components.