Hyun Bang Shin’s scholarship on the circulation of Asian urbanisms and real estate capital offers a compelling framework for understanding how the developmental experiences of East and Southeast Asia—what he conceptualizes as the “global East”—are shaping urban futures beyond the region. At the heart of his work is the argument that urbanism in these contexts is deeply rooted in the logic of the state project, where the state not only acts as a central mediator of urbanization but also actively instills urbanism as an ideology to support political and economic objectives. His work intricately weaves the dynamics of speculative urbanism, the role of real estate developers, and the global flows of capital and ideas.
Shin’s exploration of urbanism as a state project underscores its dual role as both an institution and an ideological apparatus. Drawing on examples such as China’s green belt policy in Beijing, he illustrates how urbanism is deployed to sustain the state’s strategy of land-based accumulation, integrating it seamlessly with broader political and economic practices. This framing highlights how state actors and their allied professionals—real estate developers, planners, and other experts—operate in tandem to transform urban space into a tool for economic growth and social control. Shin critiques the top-down imposition of urban ideals, showing how they have been internalized as a desirable way of life, reinforcing the Party-state’s vision of modernity and progress.
In his conceptualization of the “global East,” Shin positions East and Southeast Asia not merely as sites of urban transformation but as active contributors to global urbanism. The experiences of places like China and South Korea are increasingly becoming reference points for other regions, especially in the Global South. Shin’s work on the “Korean development model” unpacks how Korea’s rapid urbanization and industrialization have been repackaged for export, despite the uneven social and spatial impacts of these processes domestically. His critique situates these models as deeply embedded in their local socioeconomic contexts, cautioning against their uncritical transplantation elsewhere. Similarly, in his analysis of speculative projects like Forest City in Malaysia, Shin exposes how the ideals of “green and smart” urbanism are co-opted to legitimize speculative real estate ventures, often at the expense of local communities and ecological sustainability.
Shin’s analysis of the role of real estate developers is particularly incisive. He emphasizes their close collaboration with state actors, both formal and informal, in shaping speculative urban landscapes. Developers are not merely facilitators but active agents who articulate and implement urban visions that align with the interests of capital and state power. Their actions are intricately linked to the speculative logic of urbanization, where the promise of future value drives present investments and policy decisions. In this process, the state’s role extends beyond regulation to active participation in marketing and legitimizing these projects, embedding speculative urbanism within broader frameworks of national development and global competitiveness.
Shin’s research on circulation of Asian urbanism and real estate capital offers a critical lens to examine how official ideologies shape spatial practices and produce urban inequalities. His work provides a robust critique of the entanglements between urbanism, state power, and global capitalism, particularly as they manifest in East and Southeast Asia. This perspective aligns with broader discussions on “Global China” and speculative urbanization, where Shin’s insights into the articulation and translation of Asian urbanisms enrich understandings of how urban models circulate, adapt, and reconfigure spaces and social relations across scales. His work ultimately challenges us to rethink urbanism not just as a spatial phenomenon but as a deeply political and ideological construct with global implications.
Selected work on circulation of Asian urbanisms and real estate capital
Park, S.H., Shin, H.B. and Kang, H.S. (eds.) (2021) Exporting Urban Korea? Reconsidering the Korean Urban Development Experience. Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge
Shin, H.B., Zhao, Y. and Koh, S.Y. (2022) The Urbanising Dynamics of Global China: Speculation, articulation, and translation in global capitalism – an introduction. Urban Geography 43(10): 1457-1468
Koh, S.Y., Zhao, Y. and Shin, H.B. (2022) Moving the Mountain and Greening the Sea for Whom? “Forest City”and the Transplantation of Green Urbanism in Iskandar Malaysia. Urban Geography. 43(10): 1469-1695 [View]
Shin, H.B. (2021) Theorising from where? Reflections on De-centring Global (South) Urbanism. In: Lancione, M. and McFarlane, C. (eds.) Global Urbanism: Knowledge, Power and the City. Routledge, pp. 62-71
Shin, H.B. (2021) Urban transformation ‘Korean Style’: Lessons from property-based urban development. In: Park, S.H., Shin, H.B. and Kang, H.S. (eds.) Exporting Urban Korea? Reconsidering the Korean Urban Development Experience. Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge, pp. 58-80
Shin, H.B., Zhao, Y. and Koh, S.Y. (2020) Whither Progressive Urban Futures? Critical Reflections on the Politics of Temporality in Asia. CITY: analysis of urban trends, culture, theory, policy, action 24(1-2): 244-254 [View]
Shin, H.B. and Zhao, Y. (2018) Urbanism as a state project: Lessons from Beijing’s green belts. In: Jayne, M. (ed.) Chinese Urbanism: Critical Perspectives. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 30-46
Shin, H.B. (2016) La Economía Política de Urbananización Especulativa en Asia Oriental [The Political Economy of Speculative Urbanization in East Asia]. In: Alvarez, L, Delgado, G. and Leal, A. (eds.) Los Desafios de la Ciudad del Siglo XXI [The Challenges of Twenty First Century Cities]. Senado de la Republica / Ceiich-Puc-Pues, UNAM, Mexico, pp. 421-438