Urban methodologies

Methodological thinking in geography exhibits a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ quality. It is never at the forefront of discussions, but always key to the development of knowledge. I was part of an effort to make that discussion explicit. This happened through an intensive semester long course and retreat organized by Jamie Peck (UBC), Helga Leitner, and Eric Sheppard (UCLA). The outcome of this was the production of a book titled Urban Studies Inside/Out (edited by Helga Leitner, Jamie Peck, and Eric Sheppard), to which I am a contributor. The book features reflections on exemplary or classic examples of influential methodological approaches in the field of urban studies. I, in collaboration with others, examine the work of three authors, including Neil Brenner, Michael Storper et al., and Anne Haila.

  • Daniels, J., Omstedt, M., and Anguelov, D. (2019) Rescaling the urban: on Neil Brenner’s New State Spaces. In H. Leitner, J. Peck, and E, Sheppard (Eds.) Urban Studies Inside/Out. Sage. New York.

  • Card, K., Daniels, J. , and Comandon, A.(2019) Grounding the housing question in land: on Anne Haila’s Urban Land Rent. In H. Leitner, J. Peck, and E, Sheppard (Eds.) Urban Studies Inside/Out. Sage. New York. 

  • Comandon, A., Card, K., and Daniels, J. (2019) Urban comparison, quantified: on Michael Storper, Thomas Kemeny, Naji Makarem and Taner Osman's The Rise and Fall of Urban Economies. In H. Leitner, J. Peck, and E, Sheppard (Eds.) Urban Studies Inside/Out. Sage. New York.  

  • Daniels, J. (2019) Keyword: (Urban) Financialization. In H. Leitner, J. Peck, and E, Sheppard (Eds.) Urban Studies Inside/Out. Sage. New York.

Financialization in Singapore

My early academic work was intent on understanding financialization outside its descriptive and theoretical origins in the ‘Global North”. Namely, I was interested in understanding the role of finance in a society where the obvious impacts of finance were assumed to be of less importance. This work illustrated the unique ways in which finance played a keep developmental role in the early Singaporean economy. Moreover, is also illustrated the ongoing effects of leaning on finance to shape the urban development of the city state.

  • Lai, K. and J. Daniels. (2017) Financialization of Singaporean banks and the production of variegated financial capitalism. In B. Christophers, A. Leyshon and G. Mann (Eds.) Money and Finance After the Crisis: Critical Thinking for Uncertain Times, Antipode Book Series, Wiley-Blackwell.

  • M.A. Thesis: Securitizing Spectacle: real estate investment trusts, property, and the financialization of urban retail space in Singapore