Neoliberal policies have required a new way to envision urban areas. Municipalities try to bolster their image in order to attract new capital, which entails getting rid of the undesirables (the homeless and other people perceived as problems) who tarnish the image of their public spaces. This article explores the socio-political impacts of the Safer Cities Initiative, a zero tolerance policy program initiated by the city of Los Angeles in 2006. Drawing on the ‘broken-window theory’, the program’s official policy was meant to secure the streets and its primary goal was to firmly condemn misdemeanors. Camping was deemed illegal and homeless people were banned from the streets, jeopardizing civil liberties and questioning the right to be different. Drawing on first-hand interviews and reports, this article shows that this type of program represents a discriminatory and ineffective approach to poverty. It not only fails to fight serious and violent crimes, but also reinforces the processes through which neoliberalism exacerbates social differences and criminalizes poverty.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    The Neoliberalization of Public Spaces and the Infringement of Civil Liberties


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2019




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    Unknown




    Civil Liberties of a Soldier

    R. E. Bell | NTIS | 1974


    Driving infringement flagging system

    FLETCHER DAVID / CLARK BERNARD | European Patent Office | 2016

    Free access



    VEHICLE INFRINGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

    GALIEL TASHRIQ | European Patent Office | 2017

    Free access