Pioneering radical geographer Massey takes on the view of London as a happy global microcosm.
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Pioneering radical geographer Massey takes on the view of London as a happy global microcosm.
9 September 2005
From Week 4: 'Anywhere in the World: David Medalla's London'
A pioneer in radical geography, Doreen Massey examines London’s recognised multicultural identity, beginning with Mayor Ken Livingstone's embrace of multiculturalism in his response to the 7 July bombings. It is with pride that Londoners welcome 'strangers within the gates'. Yet, despite being both popular and palatable, Massey suggests that this positive characteristic coexists with another: that London is also a prime place of invention and propagation of an economic system that has spread inequality around the planet. Inverting a conventional understanding of local identity, Massey challenges us to see London not only as a positive global microcosm, but also as active participant in what happens outside these city walls. Doreen Massey is the author of For Space; City Worlds: Understanding Cities; and Space, Place and Gender.