ABSTRACT
More than a decade of neoliberal urban development both within Kolkata and its periphery has steadily transformed the entire region's political and urban landscape. While the state of which it is the capital (West Bengal) is perhaps best known as a stronghold of leftist and revolutionary traditions, and a fertile ground for land reforms and political decentralization, much of the post-Independence period has seen a reification of Kolkata's image as a city overwhelmed by poverty, pollution, population growth and economic decline. But the state and city have been undergoing remarkable changes in recent years. Globalization and the embrace of neoliberal economic growth strategies, both nationally and regionally, have significantly altered the landscapes of Kolkata. Luxury housing complexes, industrial parks devoted to the IT and business process outsourcing sectors, foreign-funded environmental and infrastructure projects and the construction of numerous luxury amenities for the middle classes and elites hold the promise of reintegrating Kolkata into transnational circuits of economy and culture after decades of apparent stagnation.
