07.05.2025 15:00 CET

In the upcoming session of our Hot Off the Press series, Benjamin H. Bradlow (Princeton University) will present his new book, Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg.

Based on extensive fieldwork, the book explores why some cities are more effective than others in reducing inequalities in the built environment. Through a comparative study of São Paulo and Johannesburg—two megacities emerging from authoritarian rule with similar policy goals—Bradlow reveals how relationships between local bureaucracies and urban social movements shape access to housing, infrastructure, and essential services.

Urban Power offers a new theoretical lens for understanding urban governance and the coordination of local governing power in young democracies.

Discussants: Alan Mabin (University of the Witwatersrand) and Eduardo Marques (University of São Paulo)

After the presentation there will also be time for a Q&A.

This will be an online event using the zoom platform. Please note it will be recorded.