Dynamics of Public Space in a Globalizing City

Urban public space is being redefined and revaluated in the emerging megacity of Hyderabad. In everyday life, exclusion takes place, but also the corresponding persistence of groups perceived as backward and undeveloped. Elites try to shape globally competitive cities attractive for foreign investment: they see the disappearance of street vending as progress, yet vendors can still be found everywhere. Illustrated by a case study, this book uses the production of public space to exemplify ambivalent outcomes of change: as a new aesthetic is implemented, access to public space becomes contested and its appropriate use is redefined.