Globalisation and Transformation in Peri-urban Spaces of Chennai - Governance structures, land conflicts and local people’s perspective
Project leader: Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Bohle
Project implementation: Sebastian Homm
Project duration: 1.10.2010 - 30.9.2013
Funded by: German Research Foundation (DFG)
The research project sets out to investigate the profound and dynamic transformations in the peri-urban spaces around Chennai, India. Here, rapid economic development gained pace with the liberal policies adopted in the 1990ies. Investments by multinational corporations is especially attracted towards new Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
scattered around the city. These tax free zones are often established without much consultation and against the will of local farmers who are pressured to sell their land. The project aims to examine the social, economic and spatial transformations in the peri-urban. The dynamics of land markets, associated land conflicts and the role of peri-urban governance are documented, analysed and evaluated from the perspective of the affected local people.
Conceptually, the transformations are analysed applying Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space (see Lefebvre 1974). For Lefebvre the notion of space is closely related to action, ranging from the individual everyday livelihood to the state planners for whom spatial planning is a crucial tool (like SEZs). Thinking with Lefebvre, space is not given per se but continuously remade by society on different, interacting levels. This first application of Lefebvre to the peri-urban is expected to bring better understanding especially into the linkages of spatial strategies followed from different levels of power and interest.
In case of remarks or further questions please contact:
Sebastian Homm, Email: shomm@uni-bonn.de
