ABSTRACT
The Conclusion highlights key findings and concepts (the contribution of literary studies to key issues in current urban research, literary texts as complementary qualitative models of urban complexity, literary texts and scenario building, the scripted nature of urban development, narrativity of planning documents and planning processes, travelling concepts in global urbanism). It concludes by pointing out some of the benefits of this type of research to literary studies as a whole: (1) access to new materials and new methods for research; (2) options for closer cooperation across all academic cultures and disciplines in the necessarily interdisciplinary field of urban studies; (3) a contribution to the real-world need for better urban development strategies by providing a heightened awareness of the persuasive (and potentially manipulative) uses of narrative packaging, visualisation and references to familiar cultural concepts and collective symbols; (4) new fields of employment for graduates in literary and cultural studies. Finally, the Conclusion comments on the ‘disciplinary politics’ of literary studies by briefly suggesting how such a conception of literary urban studies might contribute to carving out a more central role for literary studies in current academia.
