Asher Ghertner Summary

Steven Gregory, Leith Mullings, and Asher Ghertner write about gentrification, politics, and social order. Through their writings, the governance of cities is explored with a focus on its resulting successes and oppressions. Though each article covers a different geographical location, the themes overlap. Steven Gregory focuses on the advancement to a knowledge based economy and the power eminent domain gives to those who have it. Leith Mullings focuses on government impact on community and the prison industrial complex. Lastly, Asher Ghertner is concerned with Bhagidari in Delhi, which created an exclusionary political space. In my opinion, Gregory sets the stage for gentrification, Ghertner talks about political gentrification and Mullings

***The university was striving for ultimate control and eminent domain using the argument that their efforts are for the public good. ** by expanding, the university would be assisting the growth of the city’s knowledge based economy, which seemed to be more attractive than the industrial based economy. The issue then arose from the community. The project included demolishing a long-standing, community loved restaurant called La Floridita.*** The protests against Columbia’s plan to expand and obtain eminent domain was much more than just about the restaurant. The locals felt that their voices were not being heard. Redevelopment is posed a positive construct, but the real questions are who is it for? And By whom is it done? In his case, the project is supposed to benefit the “public good”, but the locals are being hurt by it. It is being done by people who have more money than the community can afford to match and therefore have an advantage. Not only is redevelopment hindering the community unity and culture, but also straining the relationship between citizens and government. The focus on the knowledge based economy took away from the locals’ agency to decide what is in their community. Knowledge based economies are supposed to produce more jobs and economic development. *** this concept is beneficial for the city, but ignores the

She writes about Delhi’s Bhagidari scheme and its effect on citizens’ access to the state. She argues that Bhagidari achieves gentrification of the state space and the channels of political participation. The local politics in India revolve political agency due to one’s socioeconomic status. Politics then benefit the higher classes and benefit the elite and overlook the needs of the slums (507-9). The housing projects is a good example mentioned because Ghertner tells us that the government allocates land for middle- and higher-income groups, but has complete less than 10% of its low-income housing projects (510). In order to create a new middle class, Bhagidari was used as an instrument to amplify the voices of private owners and exclude non property owners, which included the residents of slums, unauthorized colonies and renters (516). Though the purpose as stated by documents and in interviews Gherter conducted, is “to incorporate citizen concerns and activism into the practice of government,” it is exclusing many peoepl who are afceted by the laws and regulations (517). Asher mentions that Bhagidari has been justified as a program to increase government transperancy, reduce corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency, and produce ‘good governnace’ in Delhi