David Harvey: the right to the city under neoliberalism

David Harvey, a British geographer and social theorist, is one of the most influential figures in the field of critical urban studies. Throughout his career, Harvey has analyzed how capitalism and, more recently, neoliberalism have profoundly transformed cities and their social structures. In his book Rebel Cities (2012), Harvey explores the concept of the “right to the city,” a term originally coined by the French philosopher Henri Lefebvre, and uses it as a starting point to reflect on contemporary urban struggles and the ways in which citizens can claim their right to a more just and inclusive city. One of Harvey’s most significant contributions is his critical analysis of neoliberalism and its impact on cities.

Neoliberalism, as an economic system, promotes the privatization of common goods and the reduction of the state’s role in the provision of public services. In the urban context, this has led to the commodification of housing, transportation, and other essential resources, favoring real estate speculation and urban development primarily oriented toward private profit, to the detriment of the needs of the majority. Harvey points out that these dynamics have contributed to increasing inequality and to the displacement of low-income communities, which are forced out of their neighborhoods due to rising living costs. The “right to the city” is one of the central ideas in Harvey’s work.

What the right to the city means

For him, this right is not limited to simple physical access to the city, but rather implies the capacity of citizens to actively participate in the production and transformation of the urban environment. Harvey argues that control over urban space has been monopolized by economic and political elites, while the majority of the population has been excluded from decisions that directly affect their daily lives. The “right to the city,” therefore, is a call to democratize urban planning processes and to ensure that citizens can reclaim their city as a space of inclusion and social justice. Another key aspect of Harvey’s work is his insistence on social justice as an essential component of urbanism.

According to Harvey, the modern city has become a site of conflict between the interests of capital and the needs of citizens. Neoliberal urban policies have prioritized the maximization of economic benefits over equity and social well-being, generating deep divisions among different social groups. For Harvey, it is essential to rethink urban policies from a social justice perspective, in which collective interests prevail over private interests and equitable access to urban resources and services is guaranteed. Harvey also examines urban struggles as forms of resistance against the oppression of capital.

Urban struggles as resistance

In Rebel Cities, he highlights how social movements, from protests for the right to housing to the occupation of public spaces, are expressions of citizens’ discontent with the growing commodification of the city. These forms of resistance, for Harvey, are crucial for the construction of a more democratic and equitable city. By actively participating in the defense of their right to the city, citizens not only challenge the neoliberal order but also reclaim their collective power to transform urban space into a more inclusive and just place. In summary, David Harvey has been a pioneer in the critical study of cities and has offered profound reflections on how neoliberalism has affected urban life.

Through his concept of the “right to the city,” he has emphasized the importance of citizen participation in the creation of a more equitable and just urban environment. His work invites us to rethink contemporary urban policies and to fight for a city in which the interests of people, rather than those of capital, are at the center of the debate.