Governmentality, environmental subjectivity, and urban intensification

• Published in: Local environment Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 134 - 151
• Main Authors: Leffers, Donald, Ballamingie, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.02.2013; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Discourse analysis; Discourses; Entrepreneurs; Environment; Environment and sustainable development; Foucauldian analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Governance; Government and politics; Governmentality; Markets; Modernization; Neighborhoods; Ontario; Private property; Property; State power; Subjectivity; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Technology; Urban areas; Urban development; urban governance; Urban government; urban intensification; Urban planning; urban sustainability; Zoning; Canada; Ottawa Ontario Canada; Canada, Ontario; Canada, Ontario, Ottawa; governmentality; urban governance; urban sustainability; Environmental policy; Environment; Intensification; Urban area; Planning; Governance; urban planning; Sustainable development; urban intensification
• ISSN: 1354-9839; 1469-6711
• DOI: 10.1080/13549839.2012.719016

This article delineates concepts of eco-modernisation and urban sustainability (including its associated discourses), elucidating Foucault's notion of governmentality and examining select moments of contested urban governance in the neighbourhood of Old Ottawa South, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It shows how intensification - a "compact city approach" to urban sustainability - as both policy and practice, serves to both discipline and regulate by "conducting the conduct" of environmental and entrepreneurial subjects. It reveals that zoning has more explicitly become a political technology (albeit a flexible one) for achieving "highest and best use" of private property, privileging intensification projects proposed by developers, through a hierarchical exercise of state power that privileges market processes, while undermining community values and priorities.