Uneven geographies of capitalism

David Harvey argues persuasively that geographic space is not a passive victim of globalisation but an active player in capitalist processes. I was grateful for his clarification of what is meant by ‘contradictions of capitalism’: the idea that physical infrastructure (such as factories and roads) is built to save on time (through distribution channels), only for technological innovation and shifting competition to render these physical structures obsolete. Central to Harvey’s argument is the idea that the built environment is both dynamic and immobile, which he illustrates in terms of jumbo jets: supposedly dynamic, but shackled by the need for airports, runways, and profitable routes. The idea that capitalism leaves a trail of crumbling infrastructure in its wake forgets the many ways in which remnants of capitalist obsolescence have found new relevance in the postindustrial world - the Highline Park being an obvious example - but more subtle reappropriations exist too. Canals, which quickly found themselves obsolete by the expansion of railways in the UK, have been utilised in recent years for laying fibre optic cable. The connectivity we have all come to rely on in the internet age belies the persistence of the complex physical infrastructure required to maintain it. As the capitalist production of space continues increasingly unevenly, facilitated by the minimal intervention of neoliberal governments, it remains to be seen how easily the physical infrastructure of post industrialisation will be repurposed in the future.