Cities After… with Miguel Robles-Duran

Neofascism is Destroyed by Confederal Urban Unions

Neofascism is not an anomaly—it is capitalism’s inevitable mutation, an authoritarian adaptation designed to secure power amid escalating crises. As financialized dispossession deepens, cities have become battlegrounds where capital and the state militarize governance, weaponize land, and suppress dissent. Yet, resistance remains fragmented, and without a coordinated anti-capitalist alternative, we risk merely reacting to oppression rather than dismantling it. In this episode of Cities After, Miguel Robles-Durán introduces Confederal Urban Unions—a material framework that synthesizes municipalist governance, confederal coordination, and Marxist strategies for structural transformation. More than a theory, Confederal Urban Unions offer a practical counterforce to capitalist urbanization, building interconnected, self-governing territories to preempt and dismantle neofascist expansion. If we fail to construct the systems that will replace capitalism, we leave the future to be shaped by the forces that sustain it. The time for resistance alone is over—the time to build has begun. _______________________________________________________________ Miguel Robles-Durán is an urbanist and Marxist urban theorist working at the intersections of urban political-ecology, unitary urbanism, and the design of social and environmentally just urban processes. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Urbanism at The New School / Parsons School of Design in New York City. Robles-Durán is founding partner and co-director of Urban Front, a transnational consultancy for urban justice. He is also a founding board member of The Shape of Cities to Come Institute, a New York City based co-learning and strategizing platform for urban activism. Robles-Durán's work with the New York City and Rotterdam-based design cooperative Cohabitation Strategies (CohStra) has been influential to the contemporary development of socially-engaged forms of urban practice. _______________________________________________________________ Stay connected with the latest news from Politics in Motion. Join our mailing list today: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Follow Politics in Motion: Website: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Patreon: https://patreon.com/PoliticsinMotion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsInMotion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicsinmotion/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicsinmotion Twitter: https://twitter.com/politicsnmotion Threads: https://www.threads.net/@politicsinmotion Follow Miguel Robles-Durán’s projects: Urban Front: http://www.urban-front.com Cohabitation Strategies: http://www.CohStra.org The Shape of Cities to Come Institute: http://www.shapeofcitiestocome.org #neofascism #politics #cities #marxism #strategy

Neofascism, Housing & Urbanization

[S4E01]  Neofascism, Housing & Urbanization  Stay connected with the latest news from Politics in Motion. Join our mailing list today: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Cities After… with Prof. Miguel Robles-Durán. A radical exploration into the capitalist contradictions of our urban world, and the many anti-capitalist futures to come. In this thought-provoking season premiere of Cities After, Prof. Robles-Durán examines the unsettling convergence of neoliberal urban policies and the rise of neofascist political movements. Over the course of this episode, he delves into how this shift has eroded democratic trust, paving the way for authoritarian populist leaders who claim to defend “the people” while reinforcing market-driven policies that marginalize working-class communities. From gentrification and eviction crackdowns to the privatization of social spaces, the episode dissects the material consequences of neofascism’s urban agenda and its devastating social impact. Most importantly, Prof. Robles-Durán highlights emerging resistance strategies, including radical municipalism, community land trusts, and cross-border tenant coalitions, as crucial frameworks for rebuilding democratic agency and safeguarding the urban commons. Tune in to hear how cities—battlegrounds of profit and power—can become sites of collective struggle against neofascism. _______________________________________________________________ Miguel Robles-Durán is an urbanist and Marxist urban theorist working at the intersections of urban political-ecology, unitary urbanism, and the design of social and environmentally just urban processes. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Urbanism at The New School / Parsons School of Design in New York City. Robles-Durán is founding partner and co-director of Urban Front, a transnational consultancy for urban justice. He is also a founding board member of The Shape of Cities to Come Institute, a New York City based co-learning and strategizing platform for urban activism. Robles-Durán's work with the New York City and Rotterdam-based design cooperative Cohabitation Strategies (CohStra) has been influential to the contemporary development of socially-engaged forms of urban practice. _______________________________________________________________ Follow Politics in Motion: Website: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Patreon: https://patreon.com/PoliticsinMotion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsInMotion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicsinmotion/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicsinmotion Twitter: https://twitter.com/politicsnmotion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Politics-in-Motion/100092557227878/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@politicsinmotion Follow Miguel Robles-Durán’s projects: Urban Front: http://www.urban-front.com Cohabitation Strategies: http://www.CohStra.org The Shape of Cities to Come Institute: http://www.shapeofcitiestocome.org #politics #cities #urban #neofascist #gentrification

Politics In Motion Live #1: From the Labor Theory of Value to Homelessness. Q&A with David Harvey and Miguel Robles-Durán

Politics In Motion Live #1: From the Labor Theory of Value to Homelessness. Q&A with David Harvey and Miguel Robles-Durán Stay connected with the latest news from Politics in Motion. Join our mailing list today: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Join David Harvey and Miguel Robles-Duran for a compelling Patreon discussion on the intersections of politics, economics, and society. The conversation begins with the origins and aspirations of "Politics in Motion," setting expectations for the year ahead. A debate emerges on the capitalist characteristics of slavery, challenging traditional Marxist views with recent scholarly insights. The discussion then pivots to comparing the capitalist imperialist tendencies of Russia and China with the USA. Attention shifts to Miguel's work with the Urban Front and The Shape of Cities to Come Institute, followed by a practical dialogue on tracking the metamorphosis of capital. The conversation takes a serious turn with concerns about the link between neoliberalism and authoritarianism, especially against the backdrop of rising global fascism. The pressing issue of homelessness and policy failures in NYC is examined, seeking effective solutions amidst escalating extremism. The session concludes with an in-depth analysis of Marx's theory of the tendency of the rate of profit to fall, exploring its contemporary relevance in capitalist crises. This engaging and insightful discussion is a must for anyone keen on understanding the complexities of our modern socio-economic environment. Politics In Motion Live is co-produced by Politics in Motion. Politics In Motion is a nonprofit organization founded in May 2023 by Prof. David Harvey and Prof. Miguel Robles-Durán, along with Dr. Chris Caruso, instructional technologist, and noted writer and art curator Laura Raicovich. Our anti-capitalist media platform offers piercing insights and thought-provoking analyses on political, social, spatial, cultural, environmental and economic issues through a range of engaging mediums, including YouTube streams, podcasts, and live events. If you would like to support this project and see more of Prof. Harvey, visit us at: https://patreon.com/PoliticsinMotion Follow Politics in Motion: Website: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Patreon: https://patreon.com/PoliticsinMotion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsInMotion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicsinmotion TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicsinmotion Twitter: https://twitter.com/politicsnmotion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Politics-in-Motion/100092557227878/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@politicsinmotion

Profiting From The Homeless

[S3.5E06] Profiting From The Homeless Cities After… with Prof. Miguel Robles-Durán. A radical exploration into the capitalist contradictions of our urban world, and the many anti-capitalist futures to come. The number of people experiencing homelessness has been increasing dramatically worldwide. This crisis has worsened in the past decade due to uncontrolled predatory real estate speculation, the harmful privatization of social housing, high levels of inequality, a severe shortage of affordable homes, and the lack of legal and economic support for social spending on basic human needs. Neoliberal capitalism is at the core of this problem. In this episode, Prof. Robles-Durán examines the systemic failure of governments, private-public partnerships, and non-profit organizations in addressing homelessness. This combination has given rise to an exploitative homeless industry that has profited from creating and perpetuating this social misfortune for decades. __________________________________________________________________________ Miguel Robles-Durán is an urbanist and Marxist urban theorist working at the intersections of urban political-ecology, unitary urbanism, and the design of social and environmentally just urban processes. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Urbanism at The New School / Parsons School of Design in New York City. Robles-Durán is founding partner and co-director of Urban Front, a transnational consultancy for urban justice. He is also a founding board member of The Shape of Cities to Come Institute, a New York City based co-learning and strategizing platform for urban activism. Robles-Durán's work with the New York City and Rotterdam-based design cooperative Cohabitation Strategies (CohStra) has been influential to the contemporary development of socially-engaged forms of urban practice. __________________________________________________________________________ Stay connected with the latest news from Politics in Motion. Join our mailing list today: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Follow Politics in Motion: Website: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Patreon: https://patreon.com/PoliticsinMotion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsInMotion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicsinmotion/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicsinmotion Twitter: https://twitter.com/politicsnmotion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Politics-in-Motion/100092557227878/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@politicsinmotion Follow Miguel Robles-Durán’s projects: Urban Front: http://www.urban-front.com Cohabitation Strategies: http://www.CohStra.org The Shape of Cities to Come Institute: http://www.shapeofcitiestocome.org #politics #cities #culture #marxism #housing

Why More Housing is NOT the Fix to the Housing Crisis!

[S3.5E05] Why More Housing is NOT the Fix to the Housing Crisis! Cities After… with Prof. Miguel Robles-Durán. A radical exploration into the capitalist contradictions of our urban world, and the many anti-capitalist futures to come. This episode is the second of several to come where Politics In Motion will be re-publishing some of the previous productions that he did on a volunteer basis for democracy@work. "Housing is a basic human need and the market tends to ignore social needs, as it prioritizes individual profit." - Prof. Robles-Durán There is a widespread belief that the central culprit of the housing crisis in most metropolitan regions around the world today is the lack of supply. This notion has been well spread by mainstream media outlets and urban professionals, such as urban planners, architects, housing developers, and real-estate agencies. For those disseminating this idea, ending the housing crisis is straightforward: more and more housing needs to be built. In this episode of Cities After.., Prof. Robles-Durán contests this belief, explaining that this solution is built on the false notion of a stable market free of externalities and inherent contradictions. Addressing the housing crisis solely through supply and demand dogmas makes little sense in the era of real-estate financialization and mega-landlords. There is a much deeper systemic issue brewing than simply an unequal relationship between supply and demand. __________________________________________________________________________ Miguel Robles-Durán is an urbanist and Marxist urban theorist working at the intersections of urban political-ecology, unitary urbanism, and the design of social and environmentally just urban processes. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Urbanism at The New School / Parsons School of Design in New York City. Robles-Durán is founding partner and co-director of Urban Front, a transnational consultancy for urban justice. He is also a founding board member of The Shape of Cities to Come Institute, a New York City based co-learning and strategizing platform for urban activism. Robles-Durán's work with the New York City and Rotterdam-based design cooperative Cohabitation Strategies (CohStra) has been influential to the contemporary development of socially-engaged forms of urban practice. __________________________________________________________________________ Stay connected with the latest news from Politics in Motion. Join our mailing list today: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Follow Politics in Motion: Website: https://www.politicsinmotion.org Patreon: https://patreon.com/PoliticsinMotion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsInMotion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicsinmotion/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicsinmotion Twitter: https://twitter.com/politicsnmotion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Politics-in-Motion/100092557227878/ Follow Miguel Robles-Durán’s projects: Urban Front: http://www.urban-front.com Cohabitation Strategies: http://www.CohStra.org The Shape of Cities to Come Institute: http://www.shapeofcitiestocome.org #politics #cities #culture #marxism #housing