Roundtable Discussion: Shaping Cities for the ‘Nightwatchman’ State?
Our previous two terms of City Seminars have convened researchers and practitioners whose work deals in some form with the changing role the state has played in the development and management of the social and material fabric of cities. These drew on example from around the world, including contexts from outside the realm to which the notion of the ‘Nightwatchman’ State was initially applied. This roundtable discussion, led by Professor Nick Bullock and Dr Felipe Hernandez of the Department of Architecture, will explore the robustness and relevance of this rendering of the state, assessing the extent to which it adequately explains historic and contemporary examples, and whether it offers a meaningful theoretical tool for imagining the state of the future.
We welcome you to join this discussion, reflect on the year’s previous seminars, as well as contribute ideas from your own work. Furthermore, we will conclude the seminar with a discussion of the potential themes for the City Seminar Series from Michaelmas 2017.