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The Human Right to the City

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Cities constitute a key element in the organization of human societies. Unfortunately, by the early 20th century it became clear that basic social pathogenies such as social disorganization and crime are associated with the growth and structure of cities (spatial planning). Despite the initial euphoria and general economic reconstruction the end of World War II quickly showed that the problems of cities increased due to the general urbanization. In response, in 1968 the Marxist Lefebvre formulated his theory of the "Right to the City" which was based on the view that people should transform their cities through a process of cultural uplift of the thriving workforce. In the following decades, the signs of urban decay became more visible. At the same time, due to the influence of capitalism, cities came up to look alike with informal enterprises and were connected to the global economic changes. The rise of consumerism, the militarization of the cities and alienation became endemic urban phenomena. Thus, in the face of new technological and social challenges the right to the city becomes more and more relevant and important.
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In-Text Citation: (Mavridis, 2014)
To Cite this Article: Mavridis, S. (2014). The Human Right to The City. Multilingual Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2(2), 75–91.