Neue Publikation von Verena Frick zu urban citizenship
13.01.2026Inwiefern unterscheiden sich politische Mitgliedschaft in Stadt und Staat? Und sollte es einen formalen Status der Stadtbürgerschaft geben? Diesen Fragen geht Verena Frick in einem neuen Beitrag nach, der gerade frisch in der Zeitschrift Political Theory erschienen ist.
Der Beitrag wurde als Open-Access-Artikel veröffentlicht und ist frei verfügbar unter folgendem Link
Abstract
This paper delineates urban political community from a statist logic of political community and membership, presenting three main arguments: Firstly, it asserts that cities differ fundamentally from states as political communities, characterized by the being together of strangers. This unique dynamic shapes community and membership, with urban political community defined by the proximity principle and membership grounded in indifference. Secondly, it argues that urban political communities are not mere segments of national communities, but distinct entities with different constitutive conditions. This understanding challenges traditional boundaries of citizenship both vertically, toward formal citizenship boundaries, and horizontally, toward territorial boundaries of political community. Thirdly, the paper advocates for cautious formalization of urban citizenship, recognizing the dynamic nature of cities in contesting boundaries and promoting democratic inclusion while highlighting that formalizing urban citizenship is ultimately boundary affirming: It maintains the boundaries drawn around cities by the state.
