ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the growth and operation of extortion economies in three urban contexts (Central America, Karachi, and Cape Town), showing how they are critical in shaping and sustaining criminal forms of governance in cities, and in particular in post-conflict and high-violence localities. Given that the available policy options to counter extortion-driven forms of governance have not been discussed in detail outside a few contexts (notably Italy), Reitano and Shaw discuss whether there are lessons to be learned from these approaches for peacebuilding and the establishment of legitimate forms of urban security management.
