Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies Volume 15 Issue 1 Article 5 Winter 2008 Securing the Global City: Crime, Consulting, Risk, and Ratings in the Production of Urban Space Katharyne Mitchell University of Washington Katherine Beckett University of Washington Follow this and additional works at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ijgls Part of the Civil Law Commons, Criminal Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Mitchell, Katharyne and Beckett, Katherine (2008) "Securing the Global City: Crime, Consulting, Risk, and Ratings in the Production of Urban Space," Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies: Vol. 15 : Iss. 1 , Article 5. Available at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ijgls/vol15/iss1/5 This Symposium is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School Journals at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies by an authorized editor of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Securing the Global City: Crime, Consulting, Risk, and Ratings in the Production of Urban Space KATHARYNE MITCHELL* & KATHERINE BECKETT** ABSTRACT The last decade has witnessed the rise of private transnationalinstitutions that increasingly influence the organizationand management of urban space. Two institu- tions are especially powerful in this regard: bond-ratingagencies and global security firms. Bolstered by a discourse of risk and the need to securitize cities, these institutions have garneredenormous amounts of power with respect to urban social and spatial control. They are implicated in the imprisonment and displacement of marginalized populations,the intensification ofgentrification,and general shifts in municipalfund- ing priorities.