Miguel A. Martínez - Squatters in the capitalist city : housing, justice, and urban politics

To date, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the disperse research on the squatters movement in Europe. In Squatters in the Capitalist City, Miguel A. Martnez Lpez presents a critical review of the current research on squatting and of the historical development of the movements in European cities according to their major social, political and spatial dimensions.

Comparing cities, contexts, and the achievements of the squatters movements, this book presents the view that squatting is not simply a set of isolated, illegal and marginal practices, but is a long-lasting urban and transnational movement with significant and broad implications. While intersecting with different housing struggles, squatters face various aspects of urban politics and enhance the content of the movements claiming for a right to the city. Squatters in the Capitalist City seeks to understand both the socio-spatial and political conditions favourable to the emergence and development of squatting, and the nature of the interactions between squatters, authorities and property owners by discussing the trajectory, features and limitations of squatting as a potential radicalisation of urban democracy.

Miguel A. Martnez is Professor of Sociology at the IBF (Institute for Housing and Urban Research), Uppsala University, Sweden. He was previously affiliated with the City University of Hong Kong and the Complutense University of Madrid. Since 2009 he has been a member of the activist-research network SqEK (Squatting Everywhere Kollective). He has conducted different studies about urban sociology, social movements, and participatory-activist methodologies. Most of his publications are available at www.miguelangelmartinez.net.

Housing and Society Series

Edited by Ray Forrest, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol

This series aims to situate housing within its wider social, political and economic context at both national and international level. In doing so it will draw on the full range of social science disciplines and on mainstream debate on the nature of contemporary social change. The books are intended to appeal to an international academic audience as well as to practitioners and policymakersto be theoretically informed and policy relevant.

Squatters in the Capitalist City

The Tenants Movement

Social Housing, Disadvantage, and Neighbourhood Liveability

Young People and Housing

Beyond Home Ownership

Housing Disadvantaged People?

Women and Housing

Affluence, Mobility and Second Home Ownership

Housing, Markets and Policy

First published 2020

by Routledge

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2020 Taylor & Francis

The right of Miguel A. Martnez to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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Names: Martnez, Miguel A., author.

Title: Squatters in the capitalist city : housing, justice, and urban politics / Miguel A. Martnez.

Description: New York : Routledge, 2020. |

Series: Housing and society series | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019018423 (print) | LCCN 2019018778 (ebook) | ISBN 9781315719023 (ebook) | ISBN 9781138856943 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138856950 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315719023 (ebk)

Subjects: LCSH: Squatter settlements--Political aspects--Europe. | Housing--Political aspects--Europe. | Squatters--Political activity--Europe.

Classification: LCC HD7287.96.E85 (ebook) | LCC HD7287.96.E85 M37 2020 (print) | DDC 307.3/36--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019018423

ISBN: 978-1-138-85694-3 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-138-85695-0 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-71902-3 (ebk)

Despite the hardships of writing individually, every research work is the result of many satisfactory collective efforts, insights, and cooperation. This book is no exception. However, I express my apologies for the impossibility of mentioning all the names of those who contributed in many ways. Pre-eminently, squatters, activists, and participants in the squatting milieus were the main inspiration for this research. Many of them instructed me, talked about their experiences and views, or showed me the squatted spaces. I truly appreciate their support as well as their struggle. A warm recognition also applies to all the SqEK (Squatting Everywhere Kollective) fellows who participated in our meetings over a decadetoo many names, again, to single them out. These conferences made use of many resources from local squats, non-squatted social centres, after-squatted house projects, and universities. Once (in 2015) we also obtained a grant from the Antipode Foundation, which sponsored the expenses of many contributors. RC21 conferences and the seminars on the squatting history of Madrid (20082010) also gathered plenty of people who shared their knowledge, questions, and political will to challenge social injustice. In addition, I would like to remember all the scholars who sparked my intellectual curiosity since my undergrad years and especially those devoted to the study of squatting, social movements, and urban issues in general, such as Toms R. Villasante, Ramn Adell, Christopher G. Pickvance, and Margit Mayer. Some of them are quoted in the book, but the references included here are only a limited selection among a larger number of academics who helped me forge a critical gaze in order to understand social phenomena.