Book Review: Sharon Zukin, The Innovation Complex: Cities, Tech and the New Economy

The book meaningfully contributes to urban theory by engaging with multiple theoretical traditions. In the realm of political economy, for instance, Lederman acknowledges the neoliberal orientation of city officials but also highlights the effort— even among the most business-oriented city leaders—to celebrate local culture and heritage. Channeling postcolonial skepticism, he questions the limited explanatory power of generic concepts such as gentrification. And he nods toward assemblage theory, especially while analyzing how global policies circulate among international thinktanks and experts. Lederman’s wide-angle lens allows him to demonstrate just how far—or not—Western theories can “travel” to study social change among cities in the global South.