Introduction
Urban political economy refers to the study of how people inhabit and utilize space. Political economy in itself tries to dissect the relationship between material goods and the distribution of power. In the urban centers, there exists a big difference between political weakness and economic strength. The most crucial events to mankind have changed to taking place in the markets and not in the political arena anymore.
Discussion
On the other hand use of urban space can be pegged to the study of urban design which deals with the arrangement and functionality of the urban centers. With the increase in rural-urban migration, space has become a rare and a source of contention for many. It has been reported in the media more than enough times of a piece of land causing controversy in one city or the other. More often than not the piece of land in question is public land meant for the construction of a market or a recreation facility. However, due to the autonomous powers of our political leaders, they have been repeatedly accused of selling these pieces of land. Most of these cases though, take place in third world countries whereby laws and policies governing the political elite are very lax.
The proliferation of skyscrapers that are used as business centers is a result of the limited space available for development. Though populations may increase, space remains constant and it is only through correct utilization that business objectives can be achieved. A good example of such a city is Dubai which is also renowned for entrepreneurship success.
However, most politicians believe that having the lion’s share of the urban economic processes will in turn provide more political stability to them. This is especially so when it comes to formulating policies which concern the running of these businesses. Of most concern to urban economists is the rate of taxes charged on them in the course of their economic activities (Henderson, Thisse & Mills, 2004, p. 2390). Thus to earn political mileage, the politicians pretend to be fighting for the rights of the businessmen while in a real sense they are fighting for their own gains both politically and economically.
Taking the example of a city such as Barcelona it is clear that some urban politicians are taking their job seriously in trying to provide for the citizens within their jurisdiction. Away from trying to repair the cities that have consistently been destroyed by overpopulation, entrepreneurial cities are putting into consideration the development of more civilized and urbane structures. These will in turn support competitive economic activities, ecological and social activities (Krueger & Gibbs, 2007, p.124).
Due to the conflict between a sustainable environment and the population increase in the urban regions, there has been a proliferation of interest and pressure groups who allege to fight for environmental conservation. However critically analyzing their activities, it is quite evident that most of these so-called environment advocates are indeed politicians. However, due to the passion rocking the world especially in regard to global warming and climate change caused by the destruction of the environment, this is more than a sure way for politicians to earn public approval (Krueger & Gibbs, 2007, p.127).
Conclusion
Urban entrepreneurship cannot be totally delineated from politics due to the political mileage earned by the politicians in engaging in this. Further urban economics can be considered as the backbone of a country’s economic activity considering that most exchanges of ideas and goods, as well as services, normally take place in the urban regions. Due to this realization, rural-urban migration has been immense as people look for greener pastures. This in turn has led to a big conflict between population growth and environmental sustainability which can only be corrected through the introduction and implementation of sound policies to ensure economic growth while still maintaining the environment..
References
Henderson, N. P., Thisse, J., & Mills, E. (2004). Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics: Cities and Geography. Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishers.
Krueger, R., & Gibbs, D. (2007). The sustainable development paradox: urban political economy in the United States and Europe. New York: Guilford Press.