Will "Rebel Cities" Revolt Against Global Inequality?

In this interview with Marxist scholar David Harvey, Aaron Leonard discusses the author's new book, "Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution."

2 minute read

May 15, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


Writing for the Canadian progressive news site Rabble.ca, Leonard asks Harvey about what Marxist urban analysis reveals about the role of cities in anti-capitalist struggles. In his new book, "Rebel Cities", Harvey argues that there has always been a "terrain of struggle" over cities. Now, with economic crisis and extremes of wealth and poverty, Harvey believes there is a "volcano waiting to explode" against the present system, and that it will happen in cities. In regards to China, for example, he observes:

"look at the urban side of that. Go to a place like Shanghai or some of these new cities that are being entirely built in China, the urbanization of China is phenomenal. The urban dimension to it is very significant. Then the question rises, what urban model is being followed. For instance in the Chinese case, sadly in many ways, its a version of what happened in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. The Chinese are building gated communities, they are building suburbs, the automobile is going everywhere. It's an environmental disaster, and social inequality is escalating. There is a real set of problems there that is creating a good deal of unrest. I wouldn't be at all surprised if people don't see urban rebellions going on in China. In other words there's much talk about what's happening differently between nation states, but to shift the conversation a bit, let's talk about what's going on in the cities."

Thursday, May 3, 2012 in rabble.ca

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 23, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

An Airo train driving towards the camera on a track. There is a forest behind it.

Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet

Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.

September 22, 2026 - Washington State Standard

Two people in hi-vis vests install solar panels on a blue roof.

Trump administration unlawfully slashed $7 billion in clean energy grants, judge rules

The Environmental Protection Agency ended the Solar For All program, which provided the grants, after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

2 hours ago - Inside Climate News

The largest wildlife overpass in North America stretching over the I-25. Both sides of the overpass, and the overpass itself, are covered in brown grass.

Record-breaking wildlife overpass in Colorado brings 91% reduction in animal collisions

Prior to the overpass, vehicles were hitting one deer per day on Colorado’s Interstate 25.

3 hours ago - CBS Colorado

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with both hands half-raised. Two American flags, and the flag of California, are behind him.

California lawmakers approve just 5% of much-needed LA28 transportation funding

State legislators appear just as unwilling as Trump to pay for Olympics-related transportation projects.

4 hours ago - LA Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design