Globalisation from below: Birmingham – postcolonial workshop of the world?

Birmingham is re–inventing itself through a strategy of prestige city centre regeneration. Drawing on the theoretical lenses of transnationalism and postcolonialism, we sketch one alternative vision of Birmingham’s economic place in the world. Through a focus on ‘ethnic diversity’, and the subsequent distinctiveness of the city’s economy, this paper re–visions Birmingham as a ‘global’ city. Reflecting on a ‘politics of scale’, we highlight a ‘globalization from below’ that draws on the city’s residents and their histories.