• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE HUB CITY: ASPIRATION AND DISPOSSESSION IN 21ST CENTURY COLOMBO ALESSANDRA RADICATI A thesis submitted to the Department of International Development of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, October 2017. DECLARATION I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 72,321 words. 2 ABSTRACT This thesis is an ethnographic study of urban development in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Drawing on 12 months of fieldwork, this manuscript explores the way that the city of Colombo is increasingly being re-imagined by policymakers, developers, government officials and elite residents as a “global city” similar to Singapore or Dubai. As my multi-sited project demonstrates, however, these visions of the new Colombo are far from being the current reality. Through chapters exploring diverse corners of Colombo including: a suspended Chinese-funded waterfront development project; a coastal fishing enclave; a new marketplace opened under the former government; and the city’s luxury apartment buildings, this thesis offers insight both into the varied forms of dispossession faced by the urban poor and working class as well as the aspirational projects designed to appeal to the Colombo elite. I argue that the primary principle governing Colombo’s urban development is the idea of “hubness,” an aspirational trope which emphasizes connection and mobility, especially across the Indian Ocean region. Rather than taking its island geography as a sign of insularity, many Sri Lankans hope to leverage what is now framed as the country’s “strategic location” to boost its appeal and transform Sri Lanka – and by extension, Colombo – into a major global hub connecting Asia, Africa and the Middle East. I argue that hubness as an ideal is both a spatial and temporal claim. Rather than being a self-evident statement of geography, hubness discourse is also a specific understanding of futurity. These complex entanglements of spatiality and temporality are present in each site. The ethnographic findings presented in this thesis point to the need to reconsider global city making as a process suffused with uncertainty, rather than as a straightforward, linear evolution. Global cities, I suggest, are not fixed or static entities, but contingent urban forms which are actively created as material and symbolic entities through various forms of dispossession and aspiration. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It feels appropriate that, being an ethnography of the dream of global and transnational connection, this thesis owes its existence to so many people and places, spread out across at least three continents. “Hubness,” it turns out, is a large part of my own reality. First and foremost, thanks are due to the people of Colombo who opened their homes, shops, offices and schedules to me, who shared their wisdom, perspectives and stories and who took time to talk with me about what the development of their city meant to them, their dreams for the future, and their memories of the past. Special thanks are due to the families of Mutuwall, northern Colombo, who regularly greeted me with friendliness and kindness on my visits, especially Rasika, Malith, Alanka, Inoka, Nishantha and others. Father Sarath and Sister Christine changed my entire outlook on fieldwork and my experience of Sri Lanka, and to them I am grateful. Mrs. Rajapakse and Michael Meyler provided Sinhala lessons and much more – structure, kindness and comfort during fieldwork. Rajinda Abeyratne, who has known me since before this PhD, is owed thanks for his constant friendship and good humor. This thesis would not exist without the gracious support, warmth and patience of my two supervisors, Rajesh Venugopal and Austin Zeiderman. If we accept the anthropological wisdom that debt is a powerful form of social bond, then I consider myself quite happy to remain in their debt forever in light of the intellectual guidance that they provided me over the past four years. I could not have been more lucky than to be supervised by Rajesh, a brilliant social scientist and expert of Sri Lanka who always manages to amaze me with his deep understanding of the country we both study and with his vast wealth of knowledge beyond it. Rajesh took a chance on me when I was a very uncertain twenty-something living in New York with only a vague notion that I wanted to do a PhD about something regarding Sri Lanka. When I came to London I realized how lucky I was that he did; in pushing me always to be more precise, to sharpen my arguments and to consider the different ways my writing could be structured, Rajesh has been that rare combination of mentor who never held back advice or critique but who also let me grow independently – all while reading my work carefully. Rajesh has seen this project through so many stages and evolutions it is dizzying to think of them all. Austin joined as my co-supervisor after I returned from fieldwork, and I have been grateful every day since for his intellectual contributions and keen insights. I still recall my first time reading one of Austin’s articles and being “wowed” – that sense of deep admiration has never left me. It has been an honor to work with a scholar of cities so distinguished who also somehow found the time and patience to read multiple drafts of my work. Austin always made my ideas better, made thought- provoking points and also provided needed encouragement and support when it felt like I didn’t have the energy to keep going. Both Austin and Rajesh have treated me like a peer and colleague. Mirroring the processes described in this thesis, they have been there throughout this uncertain, fraught and sometimes shaky endeavor. Words cannot express my gratitude. At the LSE I have also been most grateful for the support of Sohini Kar, who has kindly provided much professional advice and offered many helpful comments on my work since she joined the department. Harry Pettit has been an incredibly valued friend, colleague and sounding board – I have enjoyed our venting and smoking sessions immensely. Portia Roelofs has fielded all manner of random 4 messages and queries and I am grateful for her advice and friendship. Susan Hoult has been an invaluable resource and has answered all my anxious emails about matters large and small; I cannot thank her enough. I extend my warmest thanks to Ashan Munasinghe, my friend, interpreter and research assistant in Colombo. Without him, the fieldwork that provided the basis for this thesis would have been next to impossible. Contrary to the popular wisdom, there is such a thing as a stupid question, and I asked them all (and then some) while Ashan patiently translated for me. For his patience, kindness and generosity in accompanying me on frenetic tuk-tuk journeys, afternoons at the Floating Market, Friday mornings in Mutuwall, and rice and curry lunches in between, I am deeply appreciative. I consider myself lucky to have been surrounded and supported by many wonderful Sri Lanka scholars throughout my time in Colombo and in the US and UK. Jim Sykes and Vivian Choi have been the best combination of friends and mentors, and their presence in Colombo during the summer of 2015 was the undisputed highlight of my time there. Thiruni Kelegama, Nadia Augustinyak, Nethra Samarawickrema, Dominic Esler, Alexios Tsigkas, Katyayani Dalmia form a loose Sri Lanka “crew” of peers, collaborators and friends whose companionship I hope will continue for years to come. John Rogers, Malathi de Alwis, Harini Amarasuriya and Sharika Thiranagama have been kind and supportive listeners and I am so grateful for their insights and ideas as my project unfolded. The thesis also owes a great deal to audiences at numerous workshops and conferences over the past two years where I have been lucky to present different chapters and receive insightful feedback. It is all the better for the commentary of colleagues at Duke, UC Davis, Princeton, Edinburgh, Madison, and the AAA. All flaws in the work are my own. The Sri Lanka studies community has sadly suffered many losses over the past few years, and I acknowledge here two people who shaped this work in different ways: Mrs. Unamboowe, former director of the AISLS Colombo center, passed away shortly after I concluded my fieldwork. Her friendly demeanor, interest in my research and helpful recommendations during my time in Colombo are all remembered with great fondness. Vijay Nagaraj was tragically killed in a car accident in August 2017. I remember vividly social evenings at Vijay’s house in Colombo where I frequently left feeling I had a thousand new books I wanted to read, a million ideas to be worked out. Vijay’s ethical and intellectual commitments were admirable, and our discussions indirectly shaped some portions of this text. His passing has left an irreparable wound in the community of scholars, activists and intellectuals of Colombo. I wrote significant chunks of this thesis while living in another hub city, Istanbul, and there I was lucky to find a community of scholars, readers, interlocutors and friends whose influence on my life and work I have a feeling will be present in my work for some time.

Load more

  238

Copy Link