Bypass urbanism: Re-ordering center-periphery relations in Kolkata, Lagos and Mexico City

This paper introduces the concept of “bypass urbanism” to account for a process urbanization that is reordering center-periphery relations urban regions into new hierarchies. Bypass urbanism became visible through comparison large-scale transformations at peripheries Kolkata, Lagos, and Mexico City by zooming out considering their impacts on socio-spatial structure extended regions. not emerging from construction singular town or real estate project, but result simultaneous development an ensemble various independent related projects. Therefore, bypass usually does emanate coherent planning initiative, even less so hidden “master plan” hands any single developer state agency, it emerges convergence interests over large areas land geographical periphery have been made available developments measures. We understand as multidimensional includes material-geographical bypassing, bypassing regulatory frameworks, socio-economic in everyday life. It results creation exclusive excluding spaces enable middle upper-class lifestyles, same time leading peripheralization extant are bypassed neglected. The massive scale we observed represents quality resulting isolated enclaves archipelagos, fundamental restructuring region with far reaching incalculable repercussions.