Trophy Cities

Offering a fresh perspective, this timely book analyzes the socio-cultural and physical production of planned capital cities through the theoretical lens of feminism. Dorina Pojani evaluates the historical, spatial and symbolic manifestations of new capital cities, as well as the everyday experiences of those living there, to shed light on planning processes, outcomes and contemporary planning issues. Chapters explore seven geographically, culturally and temporally diverse capital cities across Australia, India, Brazil, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Myanmar and South Korea. Pojani argues that new capital cities have embodied patriarchal systems to govern their respective polities which has magnified problems in these cities. The book highlights how in new capitals, notions such as the state, the nation, urbanism, religion, the economy and even nature have been conceived of or treated in patriarchal terms, to the detriment of women and other disadvantaged groups.This book will be an invigorating read for urban studies and planning scholars. The information about the processes of new city formation will also be of great use to urban planners.

‘Another recent book by Dorina Pojani, Trophy Cities, is relentlessly critical of the underlying gender bias that undergirds these ventures. As its subtitle proclaims, she offers “a feminist perspective on new capitals.” She documents “the patriarchal character of most nationalisms,” including the male-led predilection to found new capitals. Importantly, this intersectional feminist lens centres “not only gender by also class, race, ethnicity, religion and other systems of domination.”’, ‘In Trophy Cities, Dorina Pojani offers a much-needed feminist analysis of the planning of capital cities across the globe. With a diverse set of case cities and an abundance of well-researched examples from them, this book makes a significant contribution and offers a fresh perspective to our understanding of cities, how we plan them, and with what consequences. The book, or select chapters, would be excellent additions to include in cities and urbanization courses, as well as feminist theory courses. Pojani’s accessible writing style makes the book suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as policymakers and practitioners. This book challenges us to re-evaluate the traditional and dominant planning paradigms and envision something different - something better.’, ‘Feminism is not only about political representation or economic freedom, it is also about liberating our cities from only the pursuit of capital and making them the sites of play and community, about freeing all people in the way they occupy space and live out their daily lives, about giving dignity to the lived experience. Trophy Cities is a bold proposal for planning our cities around people and not money, for prioritizing joy over wealth. I'll be thinking about it for some time to come.‘

Dorina Pojani, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia