Politics & Governance / Public Policy / Urban Planning & Governance

Your City Is a Lie: How Urban Spaces Are Designed to Exclude the Poor

Space and Power

Amir Osman

In this eye-opening video, we dive into the groundbreaking book 'Space and Power,' edited by Amir Osman, which challenges everything you thought you knew about cities. Scholars from the Global South reveal that modern urban spaces are not built for citizens but for capital—systematically excluding the poor through encrypted laws, zoning, and gentrification. From the shocking reality of Brazil where 6 billionaires hold as much wealth as 100 million people, to the hidden struggles of auto-constructed favelas and the racial divides in South African architecture, this video uncovers the invisible mechanisms that shape our streets. Learn how city planners use bureaucratic language to silence voices, why a suburban lawn might be a political coffin, and how marginalized communities fight back through protests and self-built economies. If you've ever felt powerless in your own city, this deep dive will change how you see the world.