The perils of premature globalisation and the birth of megacities: social exclusion and spatial injustice in Dhaka.

Zaman, Quazi Mahtab

Abstract

Megacities and globalisation are two global, connubial phenomena. Asian and Latin American cities dealt with globalisation prematurely, hastily transforming into mass producers to serve global consumers. Since the late 20th century, these cities emerged as the powerhouse of mass production, attracting low to medium skilled labour. This influx of migration to capital cities and other key cities has given birth to many new megacities. This paper presents a contentious debate on the birth of premature globalisation and its relation to the hasty formation of megacities, taking Asian and Latin American perspectives. The objective of this paper is not to undermine the formation of megacities, but rather to examine how globalisation could be used as a strategic tool to tackle social exclusion and spatial injustice. The debate begins with a reflection on one Asian city, Dhaka, and this city's radical shift into a complex, compact and congested formation of urban land use in the 1980s - the result of two significant economic changes. One is the global production-led economy, and the other is the arrival of an emerging real-estate culture catering to the international trade community.

Citation

ZAMAN, Q.M. 2024. The perils of premature globalisation and the birth of megacities: social exclusion and spatial injustice in Dhaka. In Shakur, T. and Ghafur, S. (eds.) Megacities of the Global South in the 2020s: growth transformations, contested/negotiated spaces and changing liveabilities. Global built environment review, Special Issue 2024. Ammanford: Open House Press (Global Built Environment Review), pages 9-21.

• Publication Date: Jan 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 29, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 29, 2024
• Publisher: Open House Press
• Pages: 9-21
• Series Title: Global built environment review
• Series Number: Special Issue 2024
• Series ISSN: 1474-6824
• Book Title: Megacities of the Global South in the 2020s: growth transformations, contested/negotiated spaces and changing liveabilities
• ISBN: 9789849692355
• Keywords: Globalisation; Urban development; Urban planning; Demographics
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2256087