Faculty
David Wilson
- Professor of Geography
- Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory
- School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Research Interests: David Wilson is currently investigating projects pivoting around the political economy of the U.S. city. Specific projects examine the politics of urban growth regimes in Midwest cities, the politics of competing discursive formations that generate gentrified neighborhoods and poverty communities, and the racializing of the contemporary urban issues of crime and city growth. At the moment, he serves on the editorial boards of Urban Geography, Professional Geographer, Social and Cultural Geography, Syracuse University Press (Society, Space, and Place Book Series), Inter-Cultural Studies, the International Encyclopedia of Human Geography project and Acme: International Journal for Critical Geography.
- Office: 333 Davenport Hall
- Phone: 333-0877
- E-mail: dwilson2@illinois.edu
Courses
Research Interests
- Political Economy of U.S. and U.K. Cities
- Urban Political Processes
- Cultural Studies of U.S. and U.K. Cities
- Social Theory and the Built Environment
- Qualitative Methods
- Social Dynamics of Environmental Issues
Education
Ph.D. 1985, Rutgers University, Department of Geography.
Dissertation title: "Institutions and Urban Revitalization: the Case of Manhattan in New York City."
M.A. 1983, Temple University, Department of Geography.
Thesis title: "The Spatial Character of Housing Abandonment: A Case Study of Allegheny West in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."
B.A. 1978, State University of New York at Albany, Department of Geography.
Recent Publications
BOOKS AND EDITED JOURNAL VOLUMES
Wilson, D., 2007. Cities and Race: the New American Black Ghetto (London: Routledge).
Wilson, D., 2005. Inventing Black-On-Black Violence: Discourse, Space Representation (Syracuse: Syracuse University).
Wilson, D., and H. Bauder, 2001. Invited guest editor of special issue, Tidschrift Vor Economisch En Sociale Geografie, “Discourse and the Making of Marginalized People.”
Jonas, A. and D. Wilson, 1999. Two Decades Later: Critical Perspectives On The Growth Machine Thesis (Albany: SUNY) Edited collection.
Wilson, D., 1997. "Globalization and the Changing United States City." Invited guest editor for The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Volume 51, May, 257 pgs.
Wilson, D. and Huff, J., 1994. Marginalized Places and Populations: A Structurationist Agenda (Westport: Praeger) edited collection.
Jakle, J. and D. Wilson, 1992. Derelict Landscapes: the Wasting of America's Built Environment (Lanham, Md: Rowman and Little-field).
REFEREED ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS
Wilson, David, 2010. “Performative Neoliberal-Parasitic Economies and the Making of Political Realities: the Chicago Case,” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, in press.
Wilson, D., and C. Sternberg, 2010. “The New Neoliberal Growthocracy: Chicago,” Urban Geography, forthcoming. Special Issue: New Trends in Governing Western Cities.
Bauder, Harald, Wilson, David, et. al., 2009. “Contemporary Grant Dynamics: Conflicts and Controversies in Doing Critical Research,” Acme: Journal for Critical Geography, in press.
Wilson, D., 2009. “The Contemporary Ghetto.” In Barney Warf (ed.) Encyclopedia of Geography (Newbury Park: Sage), forthcoming.
Keil, R. and D. Wilson, 2009. “Mr. O. Goes To Town: the First Urban American President? Canada Watch, in press.
Wilson, D., 2009. Racialized Poverty in United States Cities: Toward A Refined Racial Economy Perspective, Professional Geographer, 61, 2, 139-150. Special Issue: Racialized Poverty in U.S. Cities.
Wilson, D., Beck, D., and A. Bailey, 2009. “Neoliberal-Parasitic Economies and Space Building: Chicago’s Southwest Side,” Annals of The Association of American Geographers, forthcoming.
Wilson, D., 2009. “Globalization, the Global Trope, and Poor Black Communities: The American Experience,” Global E-Journal, 2, May, 22-26.
Wilson, D., 2009. “The Urban Underclass.” In Barney Warf (ed.) Encyclopedia of Geography (Newbury Park: Sage), forthcoming.
Wilson, D., 2008. “America’s New Black Ghetto.” In The Social Issues Collection (London: Routledge) David S. Smith (ed.), in press.
Wilson, D. and R. Keil, 2008. “The Real Creative Class: True Realities, Real Times,” Social and Cultural Geography, 8, 841-849.
Wilson, D., 2008. “City Transformation and the Global Trope: Indianapolis and Cleveland.” In Cultures of Globalization: Coherence, Hybridity, Contestation (London: Routledge) 29-44.
Wilson, D., 2008. “Neoliberal Redevelopment in Western Cities: Neglected Underpinnings,” Urban Geography, 29, 193-196.
Wilson, D., 2008. “Text: Textual Analysis.” International Encyclopedia of Human Geography (Oxford: Elsevier) Rob Kitchen And Nigel Thrift (eds.), forthcoming.
Wilson, D., 2007. “A Flawed Reading: Notes On Inventing Black-On-Black Violence,” Social and Cultural Geography, 7, 802-808.
Wilson, D., 2007. “The New Segregation in U.S. and U.K. Cities.” In J.R. Short, P. Hubbard, and T. Hall (eds.) The Compendium of Urban Studies (Newbury Park: Sage).
Wilson, D., 2007. “The Life of David Harvey.” In R. Beauregard (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Urban Studies (Newbury Park: Sage).
Wilson, D., 2007. “The Global Trope: Rust Belt Cities in America,” Globalizations, 5, 28-49.
Wilson, D., 2006. “Fractures and Cleavages: The Growing Polarization in Chicago.” In R. Greene, M. Baumann, and D. Grammenos (eds.) Geography’s Chicago Understanding the Chicago Region (Washington D.C: Association of American Geographers).
Rhoads, B. and D. Wilson, 2006. “Observation of Our World.” In J.P. Jones and Basel Gomez (eds.) Interrogating Contemporary Research Methods (Oxford: Blackwell) 26-41.
Wilson, D., 2005. “The Counter-Narrative Begins: Confronting Capital And the Ideas of James DeFilippis,” Urban Geography, 27, 3, 111-114.
Wilson, D. and D. Grammenos, 2005. “Gentrification, Political Struggle, And the Body: Chicago’s Humboldt Park,” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 23, 1, 295-312.
Wilson, D., 2004. “Making Historic Preservation in Chicago: Space, Discourse, and Neoliberalism,” Space and Polity, 8, 1, 43-59.
Wilson, D., 2004. “Toward A Contingent Urban Neoliberalism,” Urban Geography, 25, 8, 771-783. Special Issue: New Developments in Anglo Urban Geography.
Wilson, D., Grammenos, D. and J. Wouters, 2004. “Neighborhood Restructuring and Political Conflict: Chicago’s Pilsen Neighbor-Hood,” Environment and Planning A, 36, 2, 114-131. Special Issue: New Trends in Gentrification Research.
Wilson, D. and T. Mueller, 2004. “Growth Coalitions, Language, and Metaphorical Deployment in St. Louis,” Professional Geographer, 56, 2, 282-294.
Wilson, D. Gregory, K. And M. Creekmore, 2003. “Identity Constituting and Everyday Practices in Rural, Illinois,” Great Lakes Geographer, 24, 71-89.
Wilson, D. and J. Wouters, 2003. ”Spatiality and Growth Discourse: The Restructuring Of America’s Rust Belt Cities,” Journal of Urban Affairs, 25, 2, 123-139. Special Issue: Contemporary Geographical Perspectives On Urban Politics and Policy.
Wilson, D., H. Margulis, and J. Ketchum, 2002. “Spatial Aspects of Housing Abandonment in the 1990s: the Cleveland Experience.” In The City: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences Michael Pacione (ed.) (London: Routledge) 579-601 (reprinted from Housing Studies).
Wilson, D., 2002. “Constructing 'Black-On-Black Violence:' the Conservative Reality,” Acme: International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, 1, 38-59.
Rhoads, B.L., Wade, R. Wilson, D., et. al., 2002. “Integrating Science and Technology to Support Stream Naturalization Near Chicago, Illinois,” Journal of American Water Resources Association, 38, 931-944.
Wilson, D., 2001. “Coloring the City: Black-On-Black Violence and And Liberal Discourse,” Journal of Economic and Social Geography, 92, 3,261-279. Special Issue: Discourse and the Making Of Marginalized People.
Wilson, D., 2001. “Forum on Byron Miller: Geography and Social Movements,” Political Geography, 20,7, 923-924.
Wilson, D. and H. Bauder, 2001. “Discourse and the Making of Marginalized People,” Journal of Economic and Social Geography, 92, 3, 259-261. Special Issue: Discourse and the Making of Marginalized People
Wilson, D. and D. Grammenos, 2000. "Progress Report: Spatiality and Urban Redevelopment Movements," Urban Geography, 21, 4, 361-371.
Jonas, A. and D. Wilson, 1999. "New Trends In the Growth Machine Thesis." In A.E.G. Jonas and D. Wilson (eds.) Two Decades Later: Critical Perspectives On the Growth Machine Thesis (Albany: SUNY) 3-19.
Rhoads, B., Urban, M., Wilson, D. and E. Herricks, 1999. “The Role of Scientists and Non-Scientists in Environmental Management,” Environmental Management, 23, 3, 302-321.
Wilson, D., 1998. "Progress Report: The Politics of Urban Representation," Urban Geography, 19, 5, 531-542.
Wilson, D., 1997. "Globalization and the United States City," Annals of the American Academy of Social and Political Sciences, May, 551, 8-16.
Wilson, D. and P. Moss, 1997. "Geography and Sociology Interconnect: the Rise of Spatiality Studies in Urban Geography." In R. Hutchison (ed.) New Perspectives in Urban Sociology (New York: JAI Press).
Wilson, D., 1996. Metaphors, Growth Coalitions, and Black Poverty Neighborhoods In A U.S. City, Antipode, 28, 1, 72-97.
Wilson, D., 1995. "Building A Reality: Growth Coalition Representations and Uneven Development in Two U.S. Cities,” Planning Theory, 14, 1, 96-115.
Wilson, D., 1995. Progress Report: Urban Conflict Politics and the Poststructuralist Gaze, Urban Geography, 16, 8, 734-743.
Wilson, D., 1995. "Excavating the Dialectic of Blindness and Insight: Anthony Giddens' Structuration Theory," Political Geography, 14, 3, 309-318.
Wilson, D., 1995. "Urban Neighborhood Disinvestment and Altruistic Capitalist Bureaucracies: An Empirical Assessment." In K. Misra (ed.) Urban Development and Public Policy: The Dreams and Realities of Transition (Vikas: New Delhi).
Wilson, D., Margulis, H., and J. Ketchum, 1994. "Spatial Aspects of Housing Abandonment in the 1990s: The Cleveland Experience," Housing Studies, 9, 4, 493-509.
Wilson, D. and J. Browning, 1994. "Politics and Community Development: The Black Underclass On Chicago's Near West Side," Tidschrift Voor Economische En Sociale Geografie, 85, 53-66.
Wilson, D., 1994. "Structurationist Studies in Geography: A Critical Review." In D. Wilson and J. Huff (eds.) Marginalized Places and Populations: A Structurationist Agenda Westport: Praeger).
Wilson, D. and Huff, J., 1994. "Contemporary Human Geography: The Emergence of Structuration Theory in Inequality Research." In D. Wilson and J. Huff (eds.)Marginalized Places and Populations: A Structurationist Agenda (Westport: Praeger).
Wilson, D., 1994. "The Dynamics of U.S. Zoning." In R. W. Fairbridge and D.E. Alexander (eds.) The Encyclopedia of Environmental Science (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold).
Wilson, D., 1993. "Everyday Life, Spatiality, and Inner City Disinvestment In A U.S. City," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 17, 4, 578-594.
Wilson, D., 1993. "Connecting Social Process and Space in the Geography of Religion," AREA, 25, 4, 75-77.
Wilson, D., 1993."Organizations and Urban Spatial Structure: A Review and Appraisal," Journal of Planning Literature, 3, 227-237.
Wilson, D., 1992. "Social Reproduction and Local Organizations: A Social Constructionist Approach," Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 10, 3, 215_230.
Wilson, D., 1991. "Urban Change, Circuits of Capital, and Uneven Development," The Professional Geographer, 43, 4, 403-415.
Wilson, D., 1990. "Comments on the Decline of Fieldwork in Human Geography," The Professional Geographer, 42, 2, 219-221.
Wilson, D., 1990. "Institutions, Agency and Micro-Scale Gentrification: A Tale of Two Neighborhoods," Journal of Urban Affairs, 12, 3, 267-283.
Wilson, D., 1989. "Toward A Revised Urban Managerialism: Structure, Agency, and Community Development Block Grants," Political Geography Quarterly, 8, 21-41.
Wilson, D., 1989. "Community Development Block Grants, Politics and Local Development: A Critical Comment," East Lakes Geographer, 24, 143-153.
Wilson, D., 1989. "Local State Dynamics and Gentrification in Indianapolis, Indiana," Urban Geography, 10, 1, 19-40.
Wilson, D. and A. Slack, 1989. "Toward An Applied Phenomenology: the Case of Abandoned Pier Use in Hoboken, New Jersey," Environmental Management, 13, 1, 117-123.
Wilson, D., 1988. "Urban Ecology, Managerialism, and Neighborhood Revitalization: A City-Wide Assessment," Southeastern Geographer, 28, 2, 68-79.
Wilson, D., 1987. "Gentrification On The Upper West Side Of Manhattan: An Urban Managerialist Assessment," Economic Geography, 63, 1, 35-47.
Wilson, D., 1987. "Institutions and Urban Revitalization: the Case of Chelsea in New York City," Urban Geography, 8, 2, 129-145.
Wilson, D. and G. Lentz, 1987. "Tax Abatement Programs, Targeting and Equity," Geographical Perspectives, 1, 10-18.
Wilson, D., 1987. "Urban Restructuring on Manhattan's Upper West Side," Proceedings of the Conference on Urban and Regional Policy, Indiana University, Indianapolis.
Wilson, D., 1986. "Toward A Typology of Institutional Influence: Gentrification in New York City's Chelsea District," East Lakes Geographer, 21, 26-41.
Wilson, D. and N. Houser, 1985. "Explanation in Geography: the Structuralist Alternative." Indiana Academy of The Social Sciences, 24, 21-32.
Wilson, D., 1985. "Subsidized Housing Rehabilitation and Neighborhood Ecological Characteristics: the Case of New York City." Proceedings of the Conference On Urban and Regional Policy, Indiana University, Indianapolis.
Wilson, D., 1983. "Institutions and Urban Residential Structure: A Theoretical Framework," The Middle States Geographer, 17, 25-32.
Airola, R. and D. Wilson, 1982. "The Recreational Value of Residual Open Space: A Case Study of Three Communities in Northeast New Jersey," Environmental Management, 6, 471-484.
UNREFEREED PUBLICATIONS
Wilson, D. Entries “bureaucracy,” “city government,” and “institutions” for Encyclopedia of Human Geography (Thousand Oaks, Cal: Sage).
Wilson, D. and G. Lentz. Tax Abatement Programs, Targeting and Equity. Department of Geography, Discussion Paper #3, Indiana University, Indianapolis, 17 pgs.
Wilson, D. and D. Mayer. Equity and Community Development Block Grants: the Case of Indianapolis. Department of Geography Discussion Paper #1, Indiana University, Indianapolis, 16 pgs.
Roundy, R., Weinstein, N., and D. Wilson. A Study of Toxic Hazards to Urban Recreational Fishermen and Crabbers. Technical Report, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Science and Research, 67 pgs.
Roundy, R., Weinstein, N., and D. Wilson. Fishing and Exposure to Toxins in Urban New Jersey. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Report Number J_NJ25413_1_84, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Roundy, R., Weinstein, N., and D. Wilson. Subsistence Fishing and Fishermen in Northern New Jersey. Technical Report to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Airola, T., Parker, R., and D. Wilson. The Changing Retail Structure of Rural Communities in New Jersey. New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station Report, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
CURRENT EDITORIAL BOARD ACTIVITIES
Editorial Board, Urban Geography (2004- )
Editorial Board, Professional Geographer (2005- ).
Editorial Board, Space, Place, and Society Book Series, Syracuse University Press, (2005- ).
Editorial Board, Social and Cultural Geography (2005- ).
Editorial Board, ACME: International Online Journal of Critical Geography (2007- ).
Editorial Board, Inter-Cultural Studies (2002- )
Editorial Board, Open Urban Studies Journal (2007- ).
Editorial Board, Encyclopedia of Human Geography Project (2006-2008).
Advisory Board, Urban Geography Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers (2004-2006).