Disrupting the Speculative City

The book tells the story of how a community coalition defeated one of the most ambitious programmes of state-led gentrification in London that was set to ‘terraform’ Tottenham from a diverse working-class place to a space for wealthy investors, residents and consumers. Known as the ‘Haringey Development Vehicle’ (HDV), this project would have been executed through an undemocratic and speculative joint venture between the local council and the notorious international developer Lendlease. But thanks to the political creativity, tactical nous and extraordinary commitment of ordinary people, the HDV was scrapped by the local council in 2018. Drawing on the accounts of those at the heart of the struggle and analysing crucial developments in property investment, local statecraft and grassroots organising, this talk will explore a significant and inspirational success for campaigners in London, where social cleansing has become the default outcome of redevelopment.

Speaker

Dr Joe Penny is associate professor in global urbanism at the UCL Urban Laboratory. Joe’s research explores London’s spatio-political transformations in the context of austerity urbanism, financialization and rentierism. Focusing on the local state as a key site of struggle, Joe’s work seeks to support grassroots campaigns and coalitions in building towards more socially and ecologically just urban futures.