Uncovering the Crimes of Urbanisation: Researching Corruption, Violence and Urban Conflict (Crimes of the Powerful)

"From the social cleansing of cities through to indigenous land struggles at the frontline of extraction megaprojects, planetary urbanisation is a contested process that is radically shaping social life and the sustainability of human civilisation. In this pioneering intervention, it is maintained that this turbulent planetary process is also a potent space for state-corporate criminality. Market manipulation, fraud, corruption, violence and human rights abuses have become critical spokes in the way space is being transformed to benefit speculative interests. This book not only offers investigative data that documents in detail the intricate ways state and corporate actors collude to profit from the built environment; it also establishes the tools for building a research agenda that can interrogate the crimes of urbanisation on a comparative, longitudinal basis. The author sets out an investigative methodology which can be appropriated to conduct probing research into the hidden schemas and forms of collusion that buttress state-corporate criminality in the urban sphere. Coupled to this, a theoretical framework is developed for thinking about the networks, processes and mechanisms at the heart of property market manipulation, and the broader social relationships that sustain and reward illicit speculative activity. This book concludes that researchers and civil society have a critical role to play in challenging a historical form of planetary urbanisation, marked by endemic state-corporate criminality, that poses significant threats to the sustainability of lived communities and the rich biospheres that they depend upon. This book will be of interest to criminologists, sociologists, human geographers, political scientists and those engaged with development studies, as well as civil society organisations and urban researchers."--Provided by publisher Cover 1 Endorsement 2 Half Title 4 Series Information 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 8 Table of contents 10 Figures 12 Tables 13 Cases 14 Acknowledgements 15 The darkness of neon lights: Introducing the crimes of urbanisation 18 A new research agenda 18 Bibliography 24 Chapter 1 Key concepts, empirical backdrop and research design 25 Introduction 25 Urbanisation, the built environment and global capitalism 26 The crimes of urbanisation 30 The crimes of urbanisation: a typology 33 The empirical context and research design 39 Conclusion 47 Bibliography 48 Chapter 2 Fictitious capital, class monopoly rents and urban governance: Theorising criminogenic opportunity structures ... 53 Introduction 53 Industrial capital and fictitious capital: a dialectical view 55 Class monopoly rents, fictitious capital and illicit real-estate market activity 60 The role of government 66 Conclusion 75 Notes 76 Bibliography 77 Chapter 3 The crimes of the powerful and urbanisation: An investigative framework 79 Introduction 79 Investigative social network analysis 82 Investigative social network analysis: the basics 83 Analysing social network dynamics 90 Investigative transaction mapping 99 A note on information management 107 Conclusion 107 Notes 108 Bibliography 108 Chapter 4 Uncovering the data trail: Accessing, handling and triangulating sources 110 Introduction 110 Arriving in the field and building a support network 111 Accessing, reading and analysing data sources 113 Company records and the hidden stories they tell 113 Property related records 118 Court records 121 Public oversight reports 124 Sourcing and handling leaks 127 Elite interviews 129 Field experiments 131 Counter-research activities 132 Conclusion 135 Notes 135 Bibliography 136 Chapter 5 The crimes of urbanisation and megaprojects: Investigating a ‘tourism city’ 138 Introduction 138 Land as an exchangeable asset: the commodification of Paga Hill 141 The developer’s commercial repertoire: a corporate biography 144 The acquisition of Paga Hill 156 Clearing Paga Hill of ‘squatters’, ‘settlers’ and ‘criminals’ 167 Conclusion 176 Notes 178 Bibliography 181 Chapter 6 A land-grab in the world’s ‘tuna capital’ 188 Introduction 188 A short history of the Mililat plantation 191 The contest for portion 237, Mililat 192 Courting profit: the subdivision and sale process 199 Balkanisation within the landowner community 205 The sale of Mililat, and legal resistance 209 Conclusion 213 Notes 215 Bibliography 217 Chapter 7 State–corporate wrongdoing in land and property markets: Forging an analytical framework 222 Ten theses on state–corporate misconduct in land and property markets 223 1. Established land and property markets 223 2. Opportunity structure for price manipulation 224 3. The construction and maintenance of diversified social networks 225 4. Competition and contention between rival groups 226 5. Permissive land administration regimes 227 6. Permissive corporate and financial governance 228 7. Central agents experienced in speculative repertoires 230 8. Accumulating indicia of legitimacy 231 9. Strategic fusion of legal and illegal processes 232 10. Resistance and counter-resistance 232 Summary 234 A K300 million development by Parliament House 234 Status is no barrier: .the North Waigani apartment complex 244 Conclusion 250 Notes 250 Bibliography 251 Chapter 8 Crimes of urbanisation research and social resistance: Conclusions and the task ahead 254 Bibliography 262 Index 263 "From the social cleansing of cities through to indigenous land struggles at the frontline of extraction megaprojects, planetary urbanisation is a contested process that is radically shaping social life and the sustainability of human civilisation. In this pioneering intervention, it is maintained that this turbulent planetary process is also a potent space for state-corporate criminality. Market manipulation, fraud, corruption, violence and human rights abuses have become critical spokes in the way space is being transformed to benefit speculative interests. This book not only offers investigative data that documents in detail the intricate ways state and corporate actors collude to profit from the built environment; it also establishes the tools for building a research agenda that can interrogate the crimes of urbanisation on a comparative, longitudinal basis. The author sets out an investigative methodology which can be appropriated to conduct probing research into the hidden schemas and forms of collusion that buttress state-corporate criminality in the urban sphere. Coupled to this, a theoretical framework is developed for thinking about the networks, processes and mechanisms at the heart of property market manipulation, and the broader social relationships that sustain and reward illicit speculative activity. This book concludes that researchers and civil society have a critical role to play in challenging a historical form of planetary urbanisation, marked by endemic state-corporate criminality, that poses significant threats to the sustainability of lived communities and the rich biospheres that they depend upon." -- Back cover Introduction: The Darkness Of Neon Lights : Introducing The Crimes Of Urbanisation -- Key Concepts, Empirical Backdrop And Research Design -- Fictitious Capital, Class Monopoly Rents And Urban Governance : Theorising Criminogenic Opportunity Structures And Incentive Schemas -- The Crimes Of The Powerful And Urbanisation : An Investigative Framework -- Uncovering The Data Trail : Accessing, Handling And Triangulating Sources -- The Crimes Of Urbanisation And Megaprojects : Investigating A Tourism City -- A Land-grab In The World's Tuna Capital -- State-corporate Wrongdoing In Land And Property Markets : Forging An Analytical Framework -- Crimes Of Urbanisation Research And Social Resistance : Conclusions And The Task Ahead. Kristian Lasslett. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.