Readings

Building Power in the City by Johanna Brenner This essay introduces two municipal movements (Richmond, California and Barcelona, Spain) which are explored further in our reading list and argues that combining deep organizing with electoral politics can transform our cities. Read Article

Right to the City Because cities serve as the centers of global capital, they hold great potential as spaces of social struggle against capital, particularly by bringing participatory democracy to life. Social movements worldwide are inventing new strategies for challenging the ruling apparatus and democratizing government so power can be wielded for the needs of […]

These readings illustrate how progressive social movements in Barcelona, Spain, and Richmond, California, took power through the electoral process. It details how organizers built bases of support in the community, assembled coalitions, and decided on campaigns and platforms democratically, turning despair into hope. Significantly, these accounts tell their stories “warts and all,” examining the many […]

These articles explore the concept of a sustainable city and offer great examples of linking social and economic justice to environmental sustainability. They demonstrate that visionary ideals can be embedded in practical organizing. A Vision of Cooperation Jackson and the Our Power Campaign to make Jackson (MS) a “Sustainable City” Labor Network for Sustainability