Work

Settler Colonial City Makes Innovation Urbanism: Toward a Global Critique of “Proximity” in Startup Jerusalem

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This article explores the relationship between innovation urbanism and settler colonial city‐making through the case of Jerusalem/al‐Quds. It argues that the theory and practice of “proximity,” often assumed to be a key prerequisite of innovative economy, is deeply entangled with settler colonial genealogies, terrains, and social relations. By analyzing “proximity” through the lens of settler colonial city‐making, the article makes two contributions to critical studies of innovation and techno‐capitalism. First, it advances a global critical methodology that situates the key economic concepts of innovation urbanism within the longue durée of colonial progressivism and the ongoing struggles and frictions of settler urbanity. Second, it extends critiques of the capitalism‐colonialism nexus by revealing not only the brutal violence but also the fragility and heterogeneity of innovation urbanism by tracing how its expansive proximities are slowed down, sabotaged, and reimagined. The article concludes by positioning the settler colonial city as a key site for a global theory of innovation urbanism.

Source: Antipode

DOI: 10.1111/anti.70205

Author: Antti Tarvainen

Institutions: Tampere University, University of Tampere, Columbia University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Planning and Governance

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,520