In recent years, urban displacement has received growing visibility in social sciences and the humanities. This is a welcome development, although most writers on the subject use a ‘classical-critical’ approach, centering on the logic of late capitalism and the associated process of gentrification. This writing is mainly based on the vast experience of cities in the global northwest, particularly Europe and North America. In this paper we wish to broaden the analytical lens towards other parts of the urban world. On that basis we argue that the condition of ‘displaceability’ has become a structural phenomenon which shapes a new contemporary urban citizenship.

We further contend that such displaceability derives not only from the logic of capitalism, but also from nationalist, racial, religious and bureaucratic logics. For these reasons, our paper stresses the need to adopt ‘Southeastern’ perspectives, based on the diverse experience of cities in the global South and East.  These approaches focus on urban dynamics typifying non-Western societies, often titled ‘the global periphery,’ or Third World, which constitute the vast majority of the globe’s current urban population. ‘The view from the Southeast’ illuminates the interaction between various (at times conflicting) structural forces, such as urban policy, identity, gender, colonialism and nationalism, as well as local and global capital. Such interaction creates diverse types of ‘gray spaces,’ which spawn the expanding condition of ‘urban displaceability,” casting a cloud of uncertainty over a growing number of urban residents.

The paper maps a range of ‘displaceability situations’ in various settings relating to land, housing, planning and immigration policies, typical to contemporary cities. These ‘degrees of displaceability’ – on individual and collective levels — form the foundation of new urban citizenships and struggles. On this basis, the paper illuminates the pervasive return of colonial relations to the contemporary city, and the importance of a Southeastern vista point to critically analyze contemporary cities, as a basis for much-needed transformation.