New municipalism and the right to the city
A Lefebvrean re-examination and lessons from Barcelona
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12979035 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Xabier Gangoiti (0009-0001-6053-1052, Universidad de Deusto, corresponding author), Xabier Najarro Echaniz (0009-0007-9253-0971, Universidad de Deusto) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Human Geography (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1942-7786 • E-ISSN: 2633-674X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/19427786251400328 |
| OpenAlex | W4416926586 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
The mobilisations that took place around the world after the global crisis of 2008 saw the birth of New Municipalism, which achieved notable successes, such as taking power in some of Spain's most important cities in 2015. Lefebvre's work, and predominantly his concept of ‘right to the city’, has been seen as a major theoretical influence in the rise of new municipalism. The interpretation of this concept, however, differs among scholars, leading to criticisms labelling it as an empty signifier. Though Le droit à la ville does not develop a sufficiently clear programmatic strategy – thus laying the groundwork for its use by a wide range of political movements – Henri Lefebvre's own political views and stance can be theoretically examined and coherently understood. His militant trajectory and political writings, however, have often been overlooked by urban scholars, resulting in interpretations that blur the truly radical potential of his work. Therefore, through a critical engagement with recent scholarship linking Lefebvre's right to the city and new municipalism, this piece critically examines to what extent do municipalist theory and practice fit with Lefebvre's understanding of politics and the right to the city. Accordingly, a characterisation of new municipalism is presented first, followed by a review of the multiple meanings that the right to the city has acquired within this trend. Subsequently, the right to the city is contextualised within Lefebvre's work. Then, Lefebvre's theoretical-political position is confronted with the municipalist ones, followed by a critical assessment of some policies and programmes under the government of Barcelona en Comú between 2015 and 2023, finally culminating in a synthesis of key reflections
Government (linguistics · Interpretation (philosophy · Militant · Politics · Power (physics · Scholarship · Latin American Urban Studies · Political Systems and Governance · Urban Planning and Governance
Cities for People, Not for Profit
Making power emerge
Understanding Henri Lefebvre
Centring Housing in Political Economy
There is a Politics of Space because Space is Political
From critical urban theory to the right to the city
The right to the city and beyond
Unpacking the complex role of the state in housing financialization, comparing Athens and Barcelona
Possible Worlds
What’s so new about New Municipalism
Beyond the Local Trap
Challenging New State Spatialities
The commonification of the public under new municipalism
Politicising proximity
Urban Democracy and the Local Trap
New municipalism in action or urban neoliberalisation reloaded ? An analysis of governance change, stability and path dependence in Madrid (2015–2019)
Strategies for a new municipalism
Marxisme et politique. Le marxisme a-t-il une théorie politique
Euphoria of the Rentier
The End of the Right to the City
From social mobilisation to institutional politics
El proyecto de espaciología de Henri Lefebvre
El nuevo municipalismo
Re-grounding the city with Polanyi
The Right to the City
Les paradoxes d'Althusser
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |