Competing cities refers to the framing of urban centers as rivals in a globalized economy, competing for investment, talent, and cultural visibility. Rankings, branding campaigns, and flagship projects turn cities into marketable products rather than collective habitats. This competition fosters growth and innovation but also intensifies inequality, environmental pressure, and homogenization. In landscape and urban design, the logic of competition often manifests in spectacular projects that privilege image over resilience. The “competitive city” is thus both driver and symptom of neoliberal urbanism.
Lucia Tozzi is a Milano-based journalist and urban researcher known for her incisive critiques of gentrification, tourism-driven development, and the commodification of public space. Her writing spans cultural criticism, investigative reporting, and political analysis, appearing in publications such as Il Tascabile, NERO, Altreconomia, il manifesto, and other journals. She is the editor and author of […]
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