Braz. political sci. rev.2026;20(1):e0008.
“Urban Power”: Variations and Generalizations from Global South Cities
DOI: 10.1590/1981-3821202600010008
Abstract
This article provides a review on the main arguments of the book ‘Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg’ by Ben Bradlow, aiming to situate it in a broader contemporary discussion in the Urban Studies literature. Drawing from the premise that urban inequalities in informal settlements are the greatest challenge facing local governments today, the author asks why some cities are more effective than others at reducing inequalities in the built environment. By comparing changes in institutions and policies for the distribution of urban goods in two cities – São Paulo (Brazil) and Johannesburg (South Africa) – after each of their democratic transitions, he argues that the configuration of ‘urban power’, which happens in a dual process between ‘embeddedness’ and ‘cohesion’, is what explains the variation in responses between local governments.
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