Urban Restructuring, Power and Capitalism in the Tourist City: Contested Terrains of Marrakesh (Routledge Studies in Urbanism and the City)

The book focuses on the processes of urban restructuring, power relations and the political economy of touristic authenticity. Through an in-depth analysis of Marrakesh, Morroco, the book proposes a comprehensive analytic framework. It highlights the issues of (post)coloniality, ideology, heritage-commodification, subjectivity and counter-conduct in the shadow of global capitalism. It explores how power relations and political ecomomy have shaped the city of Marrakesh over the past few decades, formulating new subjectivities. It reveals how urban policy’s sole purpose is to boost tourism in the city, bringing into question the long-term resilience and success of tourism as an economic activity and a policy choice. This book considers how the well-being of city residents is submitted to such policies, conforming to certain forms of appropriation – of land, culture and memory. The example of Morocco helps us understand a phenomenon affecting many other cities internationally. This book will be valuable to academics and practitioners across disciplines, including geography, political science, urban planning and architecture. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of figures 9 List of tables 10 Preface 11 Acknowledgments 15 List of abbreviations 17 Glossary of Darija/Arabic terms 19 1 Introduction 22 2 Institutional control: state/market interactions 40 3 Ideological control: (re)branding the city 61 4 Ideology and beyond: mediating the city 79 5 The city’s essence and the reform imperative 100 6 Mythologies of new (and old) housing 125 7 Counter-conduct: standing, acting and speaking 149 Conclusion 182 Bibliography 187 Index 200 The book focuses on the processes of urban restructuring and on their implications on the local population in the city of Marrakesh, Morroco. It proposes a comprehensive analytic framework gathering issues of (post)coloniality, ideology, heritage-commodification, subjectivity and counter-conduct in the shadow of global capitalism.