ABSTRACT
This is a study of cities in societies that have endured inter-group conflict, war, and major societal transformations. I test the proposition that cities in such societies are not necessarily inert receptacles dependent for change upon larger political and constitutional re-configurations. Rather, they may be critical spatial, economic, and psychological contributors to national ethnic stability and reconciliation. I examine in this book the capacity of urbanism to effectively address inter-group conflict in nationalistic settings and I probe the role of cities and urban policymakers in guiding societies and citizens during times of political change. In the first case, I study whether urban planning and policymaking can create built environments, provide economic opportunities, and deliver urban services in ways to create physical and psychological city spaces conducive to inter-group coexistence. In the second case, I study the utility of urbanism in leading, supporting, and/or reinforcing societal and political change, and I look for cases where urbanism constitutes a source of light that can help guide a society through the darkness of past memories and the uncertainty of the future.
