Urbanization in Zurich; Headquarter Economy and City-Belt

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Abstract
The fundamental restructuring of the capitalist world system in the shift from Fordism towards flexible accumulation has produced remarkable changes in the process of urbanization. In this paper the spatial implications for Switzerland are examined. First, the way in which the Swiss economy, based on export-oriented industrial production, developed into a ‘headquarter economy’ specialized in controlling and organizing multinational production as well as in commanding international circuits of capital is investigated. Second, changes in the urbanization process in Switzerland are examined through a study of the rise of five urban regions and the transformation of Zurich into an international control center. Third, the regional and local effects of Zurich's headquarter economy and the political implications of the urbanization process are examined. Finally, the transformation of the urban periphery and the emergence of a city-belt in the north of Zurich are focused upon.

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