The new revanchism and its geographies

Abstract

This article revisits Neil Smith's concept of the revanchist city in light of contemporary right-wing populism. While questioning Smith's original account of urban revanchism, it argues that his attention to affect, resentment and visceral reaction remains crucial for understanding today's political geographies. The article identifies a ‘new revanchism’ rooted in the shift from class politics to identity politics, intensified by economic stagnation, cultural polarization and place-based resentment. Comparing the United States, the United Kingdom and France, it shows that anti-urban imaginaries are especially powerful in the United States, where federalism, home rule and state fragmentation make cities central objects of populist anger.