ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between organization and the spatial configuration of the built environment in social movement mobilization. The built environment has always been at the centre of theorizing in American sociology due to the long-lasting influence of the Chicago School. The importance of the built environment in social movements and collective actions has been frequently noticed in a variety of studies. It is somewhat puzzling that the role of the built environment was neglected in the early works of the resource mobilization and political process model traditions. When both strong organizational resources and the built environment are present, organization may have a higher order of importance in shaping participant mobilization. This result helps us to understand why the earlier studies in the resource mobilization and political process traditions neglected the role of built environment in movement mobilization. Organizations frequently use built-environment-based strategies of mobilization, especially when they face various kinds of deficiencies in achieving mobilization.
