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The City as a Growth Machine: Toward a Political Economy of Place

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A city and, more generally, any locality, is conceived as the areal expression of the interests of some land-based elite. Such an elite is seen to profit through the increasing intensification of the land use of the area in which its members hold a common interest. Harvey Moltoch discusses the relevance of growth to the interests of various social groups.

Image courtesy of interviewee. August 20, 2024

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This video is a transcription of a discussion regarding the concept of the city as a "growth machine," featuring an interview with Professor Harvey. The conversation explores how cities are managed and the various factors influencing urban development, particularly focusing on land use, wealth distribution, and environmental concerns. Professor Harvey explains that wealth is primarily determined by real estate ownership, which significantly impacts people's lives and their stake in urban governance.

He contrasts his views with traditional literature, emphasizing that cities are not just governed by elected officials or elite institutions; rather, the diverse interests of city inhabitants—based on land ownership and residency—shape political dynamics. He discusses how these interests can lead to both competition and cooperation among different stakeholders, influencing political movements and community organization.

The interview touches on the costs of urban growth, including environmental impacts and the social implications of unemployment. Professor Harvey highlights that job creation in urban projects often centers around redistributing existing employment opportunities rather than generating new ones.

In summary, the key takeaway from the discussion is that urban growth is a crucial driver of political decision-making, and it must be considered alongside various demographic factors to understand city development comprehensively.

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Here are some articles that discuss themes similar to those in your video regarding urban growth, governance, and the socio-economic dynamics of cities:

1. **"The Urban Growth Machine: Critical Perspectives Two Decades Later"** by Andrew E. G. Williams
- This article revisits the concept of the urban growth machine and critiques the continued relevance of this framework in understanding city planning and development today.

2. **"Urban Governance: A Global Perspective"** by T. M. A. D. Sutherland
- This piece explores the governance structures of cities around the world, examining how diverse stakeholder interests shape urban policies and development strategies.

3. **"The Political Economy of Urban Development: A Study of the Role of Real Estate in City Growth"** by Emily M. T. Carr
- This article delves into the relationship between real estate ownership and urban governance, providing insights into how wealth distribution affects political power and urban policy.

4. **"Impact of Urbanization on Employment Patterns in Cities"** by Randhawa N. S.
- This research discusses the dynamics of employment within urban areas, focusing on how urban development often reallocates existing jobs rather than creating new opportunities.

5. **"Environmental Justice and Urban Growth: Analyzing the Cost of Development"** by Sarah L. Jordan
- This article looks at the environmental implications of urban growth, emphasizing the need for equitable land use policies that consider both social justice and environmental sustainability.

6. **"Community Organization and Political Movements in Urban Settings"** by Diego R. Martinez
- This study explores how various community organizations arise in response to urban governance challenges, highlighting cooperation and competition among diverse interest groups.

7. **"Urban Political Economy: A Framework for Understanding Urban Development"** by Mariana A. Goldstein
- This framework examines the roles of various economic and political factors in shaping urban landscapes, illuminating the complexities of urban management beyond traditional governance models.

These articles collectively explore the intersection of urban growth, governance, real estate, and socio-economic factors, aligning closely with the themes presented in your transcription of Professor Harvey’s interview.

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.035 --> 00:03.045
There's been, much discussion in

00:03.795 --> 00:08.005
many countries including, the United States, the uk,

00:08.005 --> 00:11.125
Germany, all over, of

00:11.345 --> 00:13.605
how cities get, managed.

00:14.195 --> 00:17.245
What are the driving forces behind their decision making?

00:18.065 --> 00:21.525
How does it affect, in particular land use,

00:21.675 --> 00:25.325
that being related to, for, for things like,

00:25.325 --> 00:26.925
transportation efficiency,

00:27.025 --> 00:32.005
but also, environmental, problems,

00:32.485 --> 00:35.325
increasingly environmental threat, environmental disaster.

00:36.065 --> 00:40.565
So, how cities develop cities

00:40.625 --> 00:41.965
and suburbs,

00:41.985 --> 00:45.485
and the spaces in between how they develop becomes,

00:45.585 --> 00:47.525
an extremely interesting,

00:47.705 --> 00:50.725
and important, question with consequences.

00:51.505 --> 00:54.845
And, I, I was trying to address,

00:55.385 --> 00:56.565
all of that.

00:57.185 --> 01:00.005
Um, the, the other important thing

01:00.005 --> 01:01.925
that people have been concerned about

01:02.185 --> 01:06.125
who study cities is wealth and its distribution.

01:06.665 --> 01:08.485
We now know that in many countries,

01:08.485 --> 01:12.805
including the United States, the primary determinant of,

01:13.265 --> 01:16.685
of people's level of living,

01:17.105 --> 01:20.565
is their wealth, not just their income.

01:21.265 --> 01:26.165
And wealth is carried by real estate, including

01:26.235 --> 01:30.645
that you, your family, inadvertently,

01:31.065 --> 01:35.005
purchased at some long, long ago point

01:35.675 --> 01:38.765
that is now the capacity to live your life

01:39.505 --> 01:40.565
and your children's life.

01:40.905 --> 01:44.285
So to try to understand these decisions,

01:44.745 --> 01:47.765
and these processes has a lot of consequence.

01:48.065 --> 01:51.485
And that's what I was, trying

01:51.485 --> 01:54.365
to investigate the traditional literature,

01:54.515 --> 01:58.605
that w traditional when I entered the scene, which is now

01:59.155 --> 02:03.685
many, many, several generations back,

02:03.865 --> 02:07.045
was in effort to answer the question of who,

02:07.045 --> 02:10.765
who rules the city, who, who runs things.

02:11.345 --> 02:13.045
Uh, one simple answer.

02:13.355 --> 02:17.405
It's, the people who get, elected,

02:17.465 --> 02:20.045
to high office like the mayor,

02:21.305 --> 02:25.365
the prestigious figures, the important institutions,

02:25.365 --> 02:28.005
like the universities, or clubs

02:28.865 --> 02:33.765
and, that, so that's one, group of,

02:34.515 --> 02:36.005
ways of answering the question

02:36.705 --> 02:40.285
and many, many researchers, dedicated themselves

02:40.385 --> 02:42.725
to pursuing, those phenomenon.

02:43.185 --> 02:44.885
Um, what do I think?

02:45.205 --> 02:50.085
I think that, cities are,

02:50.625 --> 02:52.645
based in land,

02:52.905 --> 02:57.125
and that makes them unusual as commodities,

02:57.745 --> 02:59.285
and that then is

02:59.335 --> 03:04.085
where I start differing from the prior analysts, which is

03:04.085 --> 03:08.845
that cities are not just, Protestants and Catholics,

03:09.265 --> 03:12.885
or, people who,

03:12.885 --> 03:14.325
believe the city should be large

03:14.325 --> 03:19.085
or small, that, that they have stakes

03:20.025 --> 03:23.085
in the city, that e virtually everyone

03:23.105 --> 03:24.285
has a stake in the city.

03:24.785 --> 03:28.765
Um, but many people own a piece of the city.

03:29.585 --> 03:34.085
And, that pattern of vested interest,

03:34.785 --> 03:39.685
partly based on ownership, partly based on looking

03:39.745 --> 03:44.645
for a nice day, but the stakes vary, bet among people,

03:45.185 --> 03:47.685
and that forms the basis

03:48.385 --> 03:50.365
of the important politics of the area.

03:50.625 --> 03:52.205
It, it is both. Um,

03:52.665 --> 03:57.525
and, some of the stakes are pretty fixed.

03:58.105 --> 04:00.525
Um, so for, for example, if you

04:00.525 --> 04:04.085
or your family have, either as speculators

04:04.585 --> 04:09.365
or, as buyers to, live in a particular resident,

04:10.125 --> 04:14.755
residents, once you place your bets,

04:14.985 --> 04:17.595
they're hard to un place,

04:17.595 --> 04:21.275
because those, bets have durability.

04:21.735 --> 04:24.635
And, and we all know that you don't lightly give up your

04:24.635 --> 04:28.315
house, and it's a very expensive transaction ju

04:28.335 --> 04:31.595
to sell a property, commercially, industrial

04:31.855 --> 04:36.835
or whatever, compared to, for example, buying a, a car,

04:37.055 --> 04:40.875
or, or making something in, in a factory,

04:41.615 --> 04:45.315
one kind of gizmo as opposed to a different kind of gizmo.

04:45.815 --> 04:49.675
Uh, when you invest in real estate, very often

04:50.335 --> 04:53.075
you're carrying with it your entire lifestyle,

04:53.695 --> 04:55.355
not just your financial investment,

04:55.895 --> 04:57.675
but how close are you to your workplace?

04:58.095 --> 05:00.035
How close are your kids to their school,

05:00.655 --> 05:02.395
to your parents.

05:03.055 --> 05:04.515
All kinds of things are going on.

05:04.895 --> 05:09.035
And so the placements are durable

05:09.535 --> 05:13.315
and give you a stake in the future of that

05:14.285 --> 05:18.875
particular land parcel and the area surrounding it.

05:20.015 --> 05:23.235
You ask about what, how people

05:23.825 --> 05:26.635
have a common interest or not common.

05:27.705 --> 05:30.755
When you place your stakes, you are also,

05:32.295 --> 05:35.635
excuse me, placing your alliance

05:36.505 --> 05:40.075
with other people who have similar stakes.

05:40.815 --> 05:44.955
And that is another kind of community of interests,

05:45.245 --> 05:47.315
which then can easily,

05:47.535 --> 05:50.955
and I think does translate,

05:51.345 --> 05:54.795
into common pursuit of common interests,

05:54.795 --> 05:57.845
including the political, arena

05:58.345 --> 06:00.605
and who is going to be the mayor,

06:00.705 --> 06:03.245
and who are going to be the powerful figures.

06:03.465 --> 06:07.725
It motivates certain people to play a strong role,

06:08.625 --> 06:12.645
a, a, a, a stronger role than the otherwise would

06:12.825 --> 06:14.725
and stronger role than other people.

06:15.705 --> 06:20.365
So for most people, citizens, residents,

06:20.905 --> 06:23.645
it's it just day-to-day life.

06:24.305 --> 06:29.285
Um, and the city is a setting,

06:30.185 --> 06:34.605
but not, something which they act on as a force.

06:35.315 --> 06:39.125
It's just where they raise their children, make their,

06:39.665 --> 06:42.845
job, it's a background setting,

06:43.465 --> 06:46.045
but for some people it's more than a setting

06:46.435 --> 06:51.365
because it, is determinative of their,

06:51.745 --> 06:52.925
of, of their lives.

06:53.585 --> 06:57.925
And to some degree, at least they understand that, that way

06:58.385 --> 07:03.085
for some people, like, a real estate,

07:03.775 --> 07:07.085
speculator, there's no subtlety really about it.

07:07.475 --> 07:11.245
They are overwhelmingly dedicated to the commercial

07:11.805 --> 07:15.325
capacities of that land parcel and, and that,

07:15.385 --> 07:17.165
and the surrounding parcels.

07:17.625 --> 07:22.525
And so people of, of the same flavor, birds of a feather

07:23.095 --> 07:26.205
flock together and become a common interest.

07:26.515 --> 07:30.965
They create, they unite, over particular issues

07:31.635 --> 07:35.805
like whether or not, for example, the highway,

07:36.285 --> 07:40.685
w the highways will cross right where I own property,

07:41.015 --> 07:44.485
which will make the value of that property, far greater,

07:45.185 --> 07:49.125
or will there be, a, something

07:49.125 --> 07:52.205
that will detract, a factory of some sort

07:52.205 --> 07:53.685
that will create bad odors

07:54.305 --> 07:59.165
or a certain population that is believed to denigrate,

07:59.665 --> 08:03.885
the area IE for example, the poor or the homeless.

08:04.305 --> 08:08.365
So you act with people

08:08.545 --> 08:10.045
who have a similar interest,

08:10.465 --> 08:13.125
and you become something like a political movement

08:13.625 --> 08:17.965
or a civic organization with a common interest that,

08:18.185 --> 08:21.285
and you act together on your common behalf.

08:21.535 --> 08:23.325
Let's take the question of growth costs.

08:24.145 --> 08:28.245
Um, the, the costs are of, of, of, of,

08:28.425 --> 08:29.725
of a number of sorts.

08:30.185 --> 08:32.605
One is we're becoming increasingly aware

08:33.225 --> 08:37.885
the environmental costs, if you, and it,

08:37.885 --> 08:42.765
and it's everything from, creating safety problems

08:42.765 --> 08:47.645
because of too much traffic or unregulated, traffic.

08:48.425 --> 08:50.645
Um, and that becomes a cost.

08:50.765 --> 08:54.685
Increasingly, we're realizing, of course, that

08:54.865 --> 08:58.525
The costs Accumulate in terms of things like air

08:58.525 --> 09:00.325
Quality, And it

09:00.465 --> 09:03.325
Is, Very important to keep

09:03.375 --> 09:06.245
Track, Um, of what's going on.

09:06.385 --> 09:07.845
And when I began my work,

09:07.985 --> 09:11.485
Really No one was keeping track. And so

09:12.145 --> 09:14.125
You would just, Um, approve

09:14.165 --> 09:17.605
Projects Or plan projects designed in projects

09:18.195 --> 09:21.845
With hardly A notion of, for example, what

09:21.845 --> 09:25.685
Would that do to air quality or, or waterways

09:26.065 --> 09:30.725
or access to public resources, like, like the beach.

09:31.625 --> 09:33.845
Um, the, the, the

09:33.845 --> 09:36.405
Whole thing was being driven To

09:36.445 --> 09:39.005
A, by a remarkable degree, By the capacity

09:39.385 --> 09:41.765
To make money off of land

09:41.945 --> 09:45.445
and the environment, the whole, the environmental movement

09:46.105 --> 09:48.445
Has been dedicated to

09:49.325 --> 09:50.605
Flipping that and

09:50.825 --> 09:55.085
or at least making the other things count for something

09:55.505 --> 09:58.565
and get added into the agenda. And for me,

09:59.365 --> 10:00.365
A whole lot of what

10:00.425 --> 10:03.765
Has been the environmental movement has been, has been

10:03.785 --> 10:07.325
to balance out the commercial interests

10:07.635 --> 10:09.005
With Civic interests.

10:09.175 --> 10:11.485
There has been an a tendency,

10:12.185 --> 10:14.605
Uh, for Coalitions, well, it's

10:14.605 --> 10:15.805
Always about coalitions,

10:16.305 --> 10:18.765
Um, and how you can get a coalition going in your

10:18.765 --> 10:21.965
direction as opposed to another. One of the basis

10:22.225 --> 10:24.605
For Coalition on behalf of growth

10:25.145 --> 10:27.045
And Development and particular

10:27.085 --> 10:29.445
Projects is that there Will be

10:30.005 --> 10:34.165
Employees, people will get jobs if we build this factory.

10:34.825 --> 10:37.685
So let's build the factory,

10:37.785 --> 10:39.205
or whatever else it might be.

10:39.945 --> 10:41.845
Uh, I have

10:42.145 --> 10:45.165
Two responses, numbers of responses. One is,

10:45.905 --> 10:49.005
Uh, are The detrimental effects right on their face

10:49.435 --> 10:51.445
That At least need to be balanced

10:52.035 --> 10:54.005
With the jobs that,

10:54.145 --> 10:56.325
For example, are going to, to come your way?

10:56.905 --> 10:59.165
But the other is That much of

10:59.185 --> 11:02.925
The, the job growth, it's about distributing the jobs.

11:03.715 --> 11:05.845
It's not about whether or not there

11:05.955 --> 11:06.955
Will be jobs.

11:07.425 --> 11:10.365
And so next year, Uh, there will be,

11:10.705 --> 11:12.685
Um, a certain number of automobiles,

11:13.065 --> 11:16.125
Uh, that are Produced in Britain or the United States,

11:16.865 --> 11:18.045
and whether

11:18.235 --> 11:23.085
They Happen in at one specific location versus another,

11:23.815 --> 11:25.925
Won't affect The number of

11:25.995 --> 11:28.125
Cars That will be made. And so

11:28.715 --> 11:31.805
What is Actually going on in these fights and quarrels

11:32.145 --> 11:35.085
and coalitions in com, competition with one another

11:35.625 --> 11:38.725
Is about which places will get

11:38.745 --> 11:41.085
The automobile plant Or will get

11:41.085 --> 11:44.245
The university campus, Which is also

11:44.665 --> 11:47.245
An employer and helps stimulate jobs,

11:47.905 --> 11:50.925
Uh, or The television station if, if

11:50.925 --> 11:52.205
There Are such things anymore.

11:52.785 --> 11:57.445
Uh, th those are, it's the,

11:58.115 --> 12:01.525
it's about distributing those jobs, not about

12:02.525 --> 12:04.725
creating them, or losing them.

12:05.065 --> 12:09.645
The, primary argument of the city as a growth machine is

12:09.645 --> 12:12.925
that growth is the dynamic.

12:14.025 --> 12:18.805
So we have to add growth to things like ethnicity

12:19.145 --> 12:23.845
or religion or values, and,

12:24.065 --> 12:27.045
and see, the development of cities

12:27.265 --> 12:30.125
as driving the political apparatus.

00:00 - There's been, much discussion in many countries including, the United States, the uk, Germany, all over, of how cities get, managed. What are the driving forces behind their decision making? How does it affect, in particular land use,

00:21 - that being related to, for, for things like, transportation efficiency, but also, environmental, problems, increasingly environmental threat, environmental disaster. So, how cities develop cities and suburbs, and the spaces in between how they develop becomes, an extremely interesting, and important, question with consequences. And, I, I was trying to address,

00:55 - all of that. the, the other important thing that people have been concerned about who study cities is wealth and its distribution. We now know that in many countries, including the United States, the primary determinant of, of people's level of living, is their wealth, not just their income. And wealth is carried by real estate, including that you, your family, inadvertently,

01:31 - purchased at some long, long ago point that is now the capacity to live your life and your children's life. So to try to understand these decisions, and these processes has a lot of consequence. And that's what I was, trying to investigate the traditional literature, that w traditional when I entered the scene, which is now many, many, several generations back, was in effort to answer the question of who,

02:07 - who rules the city, who, who runs things. one simple answer. It's, the people who get, elected, to high office like the mayor, the prestigious figures, the important institutions, like the universities, or clubs and, that, so that's one, group of, ways of answering the question and many, many researchers, dedicated themselves to pursuing, those phenomenon.

02:43 - what do I think? I think that, cities are, based in land, and that makes them unusual as commodities, and that then is where I start differing from the prior analysts, which is that cities are not just, Protestants and Catholics, or, people who, believe the city should be large or small, that, that they have stakes

03:20 - in the city, that e virtually everyone has a stake in the city. but many people own a piece of the city. And, that pattern of vested interest, partly based on ownership, partly based on looking for a nice day, but the stakes vary, bet among people, and that forms the basis of the important politics of the area. It, it is both. and, some of the stakes are pretty fixed.

03:58 - so for, for example, if you or your family have, either as speculators or, as buyers to, live in a particular resident, residents, once you place your bets, they're hard to un place, because those, bets have durability. And, and we all know that you don't lightly give up your house, and it's a very expensive transaction ju to sell a property, commercially, industrial or whatever, compared to, for example, buying a, a car,

04:37 - or, or making something in, in a factory, one kind of gizmo as opposed to a different kind of gizmo. when you invest in real estate, very often you're carrying with it your entire lifestyle, not just your financial investment, but how close are you to your workplace? How close are your kids to their school, to your parents. All kinds of things are going on. And so the placements are durable

05:09 - and give you a stake in the future of that particular land parcel and the area surrounding it. You ask about what, how people have a common interest or not common. When you place your stakes, you are also, excuse me, placing your alliance with other people who have similar stakes. And that is another kind of community of interests, which then can easily, and I think does translate,

05:51 - into common pursuit of common interests, including the political, arena and who is going to be the mayor, and who are going to be the powerful figures. It motivates certain people to play a strong role, a, a, a, a stronger role than the otherwise would and stronger role than other people. So for most people, citizens, residents, it's it just day-to-day life. and the city is a setting,

06:30 - but not, something which they act on as a force. It's just where they raise their children, make their, job, it's a background setting, but for some people it's more than a setting because it, is determinative of their, of, of their lives. And to some degree, at least they understand that, that way for some people, like, a real estate, speculator, there's no subtlety really about it. They are overwhelmingly dedicated to the commercial

07:11 - capacities of that land parcel and, and that, and the surrounding parcels. And so people of, of the same flavor, birds of a feather flock together and become a common interest. They create, they unite, over particular issues like whether or not, for example, the highway, w the highways will cross right where I own property, which will make the value of that property, far greater, or will there be, a, something that will detract, a factory of some sort

07:52 - that will create bad odors or a certain population that is believed to denigrate, the area IE for example, the poor or the homeless. So you act with people who have a similar interest, and you become something like a political movement or a civic organization with a common interest that, and you act together on your common behalf. Let's take the question of growth costs. the, the costs are of, of, of, of,

08:28 - of a number of sorts. One is we're becoming increasingly aware the environmental costs, if you, and it, and it's everything from, creating safety problems because of too much traffic or unregulated, traffic. and that becomes a cost. Increasingly, we're realizing, of course, that The costs Accumulate in terms of things like air Quality, And it Is, Very important to keep

09:03 - Track, of what's going on. And when I began my work, Really No one was keeping track. And so You would just, approve Projects Or plan projects designed in projects With hardly A notion of, for example, what Would that do to air quality or, or waterways or access to public resources, like, like the beach. the, the, the Whole thing was being driven To

09:36 - A, by a remarkable degree, By the capacity To make money off of land and the environment, the whole, the environmental movement Has been dedicated to Flipping that and or at least making the other things count for something and get added into the agenda. And for me, A whole lot of what Has been the environmental movement has been, has been to balance out the commercial interests

10:07 - With Civic interests. There has been an a tendency, for Coalitions, well, it's Always about coalitions, and how you can get a coalition going in your direction as opposed to another. One of the basis For Coalition on behalf of growth And Development and particular Projects is that there Will be Employees, people will get jobs if we build this factory.

10:34 - So let's build the factory, or whatever else it might be. I have Two responses, numbers of responses. One is, are The detrimental effects right on their face That At least need to be balanced With the jobs that, For example, are going to, to come your way? But the other is That much of The, the job growth, it's about distributing the jobs.

11:03 - It's not about whether or not there Will be jobs. And so next year, there will be, a certain number of automobiles, that are Produced in Britain or the United States, and whether They Happen in at one specific location versus another, Won't affect The number of Cars That will be made. And so What is Actually going on in these fights and quarrels

11:32 - and coalitions in com, competition with one another Is about which places will get The automobile plant Or will get The university campus, Which is also An employer and helps stimulate jobs, or The television station if, if There Are such things anymore. th those are, it's the, it's about distributing those jobs, not about creating them, or losing them.

12:05 - The, primary argument of the city as a growth machine is that growth is the dynamic. So we have to add growth to things like ethnicity or religion or values, and, and see, the development of cities as driving the political apparatus.

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