City, Retail, and Consumption. Thirty-five Years of International Research

Abstract

This work constitutes a presentation of the itinerary followed in the formation of the International Network on City, Retail, and Consumption. Although, like any presentation, this one is subjective, the author, who has played a unifying role over the last thirty years, tries to situate, and define the various groups of different and prestigious universities that have worked together. This itinerary aims to establish the subjects of study, the researchers, and their publications. We start by looking at the researchers and the analyzed cities, particularly Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, São Paulo, Naples, Presidente Prudente, Mexico City, Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Toulouse, Naples, Catania, and Madrid. The second part is a conceptual, methodological, and scientific assessment of the studies and publications of these years, both within the group and by influential external groups. We present an overview of part of the geographical studies on urban trade and consumption in Latin America and Mediterranean Europe. This reflection concludes that there is a need to create a new urban political economy based on interdisciplinary research teams. It also raises the possibility of defining the dynamics of the new transition from the capitalist system to a new one in the context of globalization and within the differential processes of planetary urbanization.