Abstract:
At the heart of Sri Lanka's post-war discourse on urban development - with the city of
Colombo as its centrepiece - is a dispute over the character of the good city, which has
moral implications. With city beautification, the figure of the Developer in the tradition
of Le Corbusier and Robert Moses, with the desire to refashion the narrative of the city
to suit the Contemporary, took centre stage. The affective realm of the occupants was
tapped into, treating them as consumers of space at best. Gentrification came into play
in the design of spaces of recreation and leisure, and order was imposed on the urban
scene with revanchist undertones betraying the Developer's lack of imagination which
was highlighted in the forcible relocation of low-income households. The ensuing
public critique based on freedom and social justice underscored a lack of due process,
equity, and inclusivity.
