Neither infrastructural nor planetary: Urban corridor as an assemblage

Abstract

Urban corridors are commonly conceptualized as linear infrastructures or extensions of metropolitan areas that facilitate economic integration and territorial expansion. This paper presents a theoretical framework that moves beyond infrastructural determinism and planetary logics by conceptualizing urban corridors as contingent socio-material assemblages. Drawing on the principles of assemblage urbanism, it argues that corridors are not fixed spatial forms but rather emergent formations shaped by heterogeneous materialities, unique histories, and multiple structuring forces. This approach challenges dominant perspectives, such as the infrastructural turn and planetary urbanization, which often emphasize structural coherence and top-down governance in corridor urbanization. Instead, this paper conceptualizes urban corridors as continuously territorialized and deterritorialized through processes of situated contestation, negotiation, and alliance. By rethinking urban corridors as relational, processual, and strategic rather than as predefined spatial categories, this article contributes to discussions on the socio-material foundations and implications of corridor urbanization. It highlights the need for more dynamic, open-ended, and context-specific frameworks in the study of urban corridors.