lse dissertation examples

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Wu, Yue (2024) Shareholder activism: the interactions between firm meetings and asset markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Chen, Jane Jingxuan (2023) Essays on communication and trading in financial markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Salarkia, Amirabas (2023) Essays in empirical asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Tang, Bo (2022) Essays on FinTech and financial markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Täger, Matthias (2022) Constructing climate risk: how finance governs its relationship with the planet’s climate. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yin, Xiang (2022) Essays in empirical corporate finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pelosi, Marco (2022) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Shi, Ran (2022) Essays in asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Huang, Jiantao (2022) Essays in empirical asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Chen, Juan (2022) Essays on corporate finance and governance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Iwadate, Muneaki Bruce (2021) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yuan, Yue (2021) Essays on corporate finance under asymmetric information. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Risteska, Simona (2021) Essays on learning and information-processing in financial markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nicolai, Francesco (2021) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pellicioli, Alberto (2021) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Carella, Agnese (2021) Essays in household finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hu, Zhongchen (2021) Essays on household finance, venture capital, and labor. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Todorov, Karamfil (2020) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Core, Fabrizio (2020) Essays on entrepreneurship. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wang, Su (2019) Essays in corporate finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Guo, Tengyu (James) (2019) Essays in factor-based investing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ryduchowska, Malgorzata Teresa (2019) Essays in empirical corporate finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Han, Yueyang (2019) Essays on information and frictions in financial markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Papadimitriou, Dimitris (2019) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ricca, Bernardo (2019) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kremens, Lukas (2019) Essays on foreign exchange risk. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gorrín, Jesús (2018) Essays in empirical corporate finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bretscher, Lorenzo (2018) Essays in macro finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sabtchevsky, Petar Svilenov (2018) Three papers on asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Obizhaeva, Olga A. (2017) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Savic, Una (2017) Essays in financial intermediation. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Punz, Michael (2017) Essays on delegated portfolio management. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Seyedan, Seyed (2016) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Zaccaria, Luana (2016) Essays in corporate finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Choi, Hoyong (2016) Essays on asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Zhang, Cheng (2016) Essays on asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Glebkin, Sergey (2016) Three essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Shen, Ji (2015) Essays on asset pricing in over-the-counter markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Martinovic, Milan (2015) Venture capital investments, exits and post-IPO performance. MPhil thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yan, Wen (2015) Essays on the term structures of bonds and equities. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lu, Yiqing (2015) Essays on adaptation, innovation incentives and compensation structure. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Chen, Huaizhi (2015) Essays on empirical asset pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Roulstone, Claire (2015) Inside the social world of a witness care unit: role-conflict and organisational ideology in a service. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

von Drathen, Christian (2014) Essays in empirical finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dobrynskaya, Victoria (2014) Downside risk in stock and currency markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kuong, John (2014) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Huang, Shiyang (2014) Essays on information asymmetry in financial market. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Zhou, Ping (2014) Essays on credit risk. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Zeng, Jing (2014) Essays on financial intermediation. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Donaldson, Jason (2014) Essays in financial contract theory. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Zer Boudet, Ilknur (2013) Essays on financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Valenzuela Bravo, Marcela Andrea (2013) Essays on financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Piacentino, Giorgia (2013) Theories of the effects of delegated portfolio managers' incentives. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Costa Neto, Nelson (2012) Essays on information asymmetry and financial institutions. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Deb, Pragyan (2012) Essays on the impact of competition on financial intermediaries. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yen, Yu-Min (2012) Three essays in financial econometrics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Shang, Qi (2012) Essays in asset pricing and institutional investors. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Maurer, Thomas A. (2012) Is consumption growth only a sideshow in asset pricing?: asset pricing implications of demographic change and shocks to time preferences. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Teo, Terence (2012) Essays on disclosure of holdings by institutional investors. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Parida, Sitikantha (2012) Essays on delegated portfolio management. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lew, Sean (2012) Essays on market microstructure. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fardeau, Vincent (2011) Essays in financial economics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Venter, György (2011) Essays on asymmetric information and trading constraints. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wang, Yiyi (2011) Rational bubble, short-dated volatility forecasting and extract more from the volatility surface. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Anton Sancho, Miguel (2011) Three essays on the comovement of financial assets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Liu, Zijun (2011) Essays in financial intermediation. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Garavito, Fabian (2010) Essays on delegated asset management. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bena, Jan (2009) Essays on the interaction between financial development and real economy. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lee, KeunJung (2009) Three essays on corporate governance in Korea. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Chen, Runquan (2009) Volatility and correlation in financial markets: Econometric modeling and empirical pricing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Protopapa, Marco (2009) An essay in corporate finance: Managerial incentives, financial constraints and ownership concentration. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Afonso, Gara Minguez (2008) Liquidity, information and coordination in financial markets. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Reusch, Christian (2008) On the non-linear dynamics of financial market risk and liquidity. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Arcot, Sridhar Rao (2007) Essays in corporate finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Dissertation literature review: a text and a process

Welcome back to the LSE LIFE podcasts series! I'm Helen Green, and I’ll be sharing some ideas on one particular aspect of studying at LSE.

In this series of podcasts about your dissertation, we’re considering the dissertation in terms of the finished, written product, but also in terms of the process of developing and creating that product.  Today I’d like to focus on the literature review.

So we know that the literature review is part of your dissertation, maybe a couple thousand words, a few thousand words – depending on how you choose to structure your dissertation. But what else is there to know?  I’ve got three main ideas in mind with respect to your literature review.  First I’d like to talk about what a literature review is, and what it  does  – what functions it should fulfill. Then I have some advice on how to go about reviewing the literature and writing this part of your dissertation.  Finally, I’d like to reflect on some qualities of a good literature review, and some common problems to try to avoid. 

Podcast transcript

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Selection Process - Postgraduate Research

Applying for an MRes/PhD or MPhil/PhD programme can be an exciting process. It offers you the opportunity to think critically about a topic that interests you and prepare towards carrying out independent research. However, given the high standards of academic skills required to complete a PhD, it can also feel daunting. This page contains information that will help you prepare for your doctoral journey. 

Questions to consider before applying

Before starting your application, it is important that you reflect on the main reasons for your decision to pursue a PhD and prepare your mind for the challenges of completing a doctoral programme. You should conduct thorough research on the requirements and structure of the programme you are interested in as well as the types of academic support offered by the department running the programme. The questions below have been created to help you think through the reality of doing doctoral study. Answers to some of these questions can be sought by visiting the webpages of the department you are considering joining and contacting the relevant departmental staff for additional information. 

• What does the institution expect of its research students in terms of time spent researching, undertaking training or attending ‘taught’ elements, and other responsibilities?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of doctoral supervision at the institution, and what provision is there for change of supervisor if my supervisor leaves or takes a sabbatical?
• What facilities and resources am I likely to need for my project and will I be able to access them?
• What costs am I likely to incur that are not included in the annual tuition fee, such as travel for research purposes, conference attendance, bench fees or specialist equipment?
• How will I be supported in finding opportunities to attend conferences, give presentations and publish?
• Will I be given opportunities to teach, and, if so, how much teaching is available/expected? How much support will be available to me as a novice teacher?
• What support is available (in my subject) for research and professional transferable skills development? Are there required courses I need to take?
• How does the institution promote an engaging and interdisciplinary postgraduate research environment?
• How are the concerns of doctoral students represented at the institution?
• What provision is there for arranged suspension of study (for example, for parental leave) and will I be able to return to my research if I suspend my study for some reason?
• What happens if I cannot or do not complete my research?
• What employment opportunities are available for someone researching in my field and how might this doctoral qualification enhance my career prospects? 

Source: The UK doctorate: a guide for current and prospective doctoral candidates, QAA and NUS ( https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/study/postgraduate/documents/Doctorate-guide.pdf )  

The Doctoral Supervision Process

At LSE, the allocation of supervisors depends largely on the availability of staff with the right research background and who are likely to be staff members for the foreseeable future, who are interested in supervising your proposed research. The School expects that there should be at least two possible supervisors for each applicant. A department may have to turn away a potentially excellent student because it does not have the capacity to offer that student a place at that time due to supervisors not being available. Before starting your application, it is important to review the academic staff pages of departments to confirm if your research interests are likely to match existing research interests within the department. It may be helpful to contact a potential supervisor before applying to determine the extent to which they may be interested in your proposed topic, but please read departmental guidance on this before doing so. Please note that LSE Fellows cannot act as supervisors. 

Following confirmation of your place on a research programme, you will be assigned a lead supervisor (and a second supervisor/adviser) who is a specialist in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic. Lead supervisors guide you through your studies. During your first year you will normally be required to undertake training in the methods  and subject specific knowledge necessary for you to undertake your proposed research. In all years, you will also normally be expected to attend and contribute to departmental research seminars and workshops. Together, these are designed to strengthen your methodological skills, language skills or background knowledge of specific topics related to your research, and help you to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for you to flourish as a research professional.  

In the course of your methods and skills training, you will be required to develop, and later present, a more detailed project proposal. The proposal, which should illustrate your command of the theoretical and empirical literature related to your topic, will be a clear statement of the theoretical and methodological approach you will take. It will include a draft outline and work plan, which should identify any periods of fieldwork necessary for your research. This should demonstrate the coherence and feasibility of the proposed research and thesis. 

When to apply

MRes/PhD and MPhil/PhD programmes normally start in late September each year but with the permission of the relevant department you may start in January (Lent term) or exceptionally in April (Summer term). This depends on the availability of taught courses that your department and academic supervisor decide that you must take. Most of those courses are held in the Michaelmas term, so most research programmes start in September. See  When to apply . 

Duration and mode of study

The time taken to complete any research degree depends on your progress and individual needs and you must remain registered with the School until your thesis has been submitted. 

MPhil/PhD: You register for the MPhil in the first instance. An assessment of your work, which usually occurs between 12 and 18 months from your start date, will allow us to appraise your aptitude for original research at doctoral level. If you have progressed satisfactorily you will be retroactively upgraded to full PhD status. The total duration of study is a maximum of four years full-time. 

MRes/PhD: You register for the MRes, which lasts one or two years full-time, depending on which track you are admitted to. In order to progress to the PhD part of the programme, you must satisfy progression requirements for your department, usually a merit overall and a merit in the dissertation. Registration at PhD level is usually a maximum of four years full-time, meaning the total duration of the MRes/PhD is five or six years, depending on your specific programme. 

LSE’s MPhil/PhD programmes are designed to be followed full time by fully funded students, as experience has shown that this route is the most successful for maintaining momentum to a successful and timely submission of your thesis. We recognise that certain circumstances, for example disability or caring commitments, may necessitate your studying part time. If you wish to be considered for part time study, you should mention this in your personal statement, and discuss it in your interview if you are shortlisted. 

  To be eligible for part time study:  a)      You must meet one of the criteria for part-time study (eg primary care responsibilities or disability),  b)      The Department must be in a position to provide training, supervision and support required for a part-time attendance  c)       You will still be undertaking study and attendance on campus (this is not a route for distance learning)  d)      You must not be subject to external restrictions on part time study for another reason (eg visa or funding). 

Preparing your supporting documents

Before applying to your chosen programme, it is important to confirm the key supporting documents required for your application. Typically, an application for a graduate research programme at LSE will require the following:  

(1) an academic transcript for each qualification you mention in your application;  

(2) a statement of academic purpose;  

(3) an outline of a research proposal if applying for a MRes programme or a full research proposal if applying for a MPhil/PhD programme;  

(4) a sample written work;  

(5) CV/resume;  

(6) GRE or GMAT scores if required for your programme; 

(7) two academic references. 

Depending on whether you have satisfied the School’s English language requirements, you may also need to provide proof of English test scores. Additional supporting documents can include professional references to supplement academic references.  

For detailed guidance on the supporting documents required for your application, please view the  Supporting Documents page.  As individual programmes may have specific requirements, some departments may not require all the items listed above or may have certain criteria for writing statements or research proposals. For this reason, we advise that you visit  the departmental website for your chosen programme  to ensure you make all necessary provisions. 

Interview Guidance

All academic departments, except the Department of Economics, interview all PhD applicants they are considering accepting (unless the applicant is already well-known to the department). One or more members of academic staff will be present at the interview (this might include your potential supervisor) and they will be involved in making the final decision to offer a PhD place to a student. The primary aim of the interview is to help the department gain further information about your motivation, commitment and potential for study at the doctoral level. It also provides the opportunity to convey your interest in and enthusiasm for your chosen topic, and your overall approach to academic work.  

LSE’s MPhil/PhD programmes are designed to be followed full-time as experience has shown that this route is the most successful for maintaining momentum for a successful and timely submission of the thesis. However, we recognise that certain circumstances, for example disability or caring commitments, may necessitate studying part-time. If you plan to complete your programme on a part-time basis, please prepare to discuss the reasons for this during the interview if you are shortlisted. 

We advise all applicants to attend the interview with a few questions for your interviewers. This will be your opportunity to fill any gaps in your knowledge about the department/programme and clarify the support mechanisms in place for doctoral students in that department. 

Below is more detailed information about what to expect from an interview. 

What are departments looking for in the interview? 

Doctoral students are expected to have certain attributes and the interview will be an opportunity for departments to get further information about the candidate’s: 

ability to process complex concepts, reason analytically and critically; 

ability to evaluate their own work and the work of others; 

capacity to conduct independent research as well as to accept guidance from others; 

enthusiasm for research; 

motivation and perseverance in achieving objectives; 

organisational skills; 

capacity to establish good working relationships; 

personal and academic integrity. 

Conducting the interview 

The interview is a two-way process: academic staff will be interviewing you, but in many respects, you will also be interviewing them. Consider how you will convince your interviewers of your suitability for the programme and the value you can add to the department. Try to think of the interview as an open conversation where you can discuss your interests, experiences, and ambitions. Your interviewers are likely to make notes as you speak but this is only to ensure they can remember what you say during the interview, so do not be concerned if they are not always maintaining eye contact. 

Some questions may be prompted by the information you included in your statement or research proposal so be prepared to review these materials prior to your interview. It will be useful to remind yourself of what you wrote to ensure the case you already made in your written application is consistent with what you say during the interview.  

Sample interview questions 

Motivation for doctoral study (at LSE) 

Please tell me something about you, what you have been doing/studying/working on during the past year? 

What made you apply for this programme at this particular time? Why did you choose LSE? What made you choose this department? 

Where do you anticipate/hope a PhD will lead in terms of your career development? 

What contribution do you think you will be making to your chosen field of research? 

Readiness for doctoral study 

What is the relevance of your previous study to your proposed research? 

What potential areas of research have you identified? How did you arrive at these? What interests you about them? 

Have you previously led seminars/taught undergraduates? 

How do you intend to fund your study? 

The demands of doctoral study 

Are you aware of the requirements of the programme (including taught courses)? 

What are you expecting by way of supervisory arrangements? 

How do you anticipate combining the demands of doctoral study/completing a PhD with other commitments you might have? 

Questions to consider asking your interviewers 

How many other PhDs are working in this research area and in the department as a whole? 

Are there any journal networks or research reading groups in the discipline? 

What are the publication expectations for PhD students in this department? 

What are the submission and qualification rates for PhDs in the department? 

Is there funding available to attend national or international conferences and meetings? Or to do fieldwork? 

At the end of the interview, it is helpful to: 

ask if your interviewers have any further questions for you; 

thank them; 

ask what will happen next and when you might hear from them. 

For more information about the interview process, please view this  page . 

Each academic year, LSE offers approximately 80 studentships to new PhD students in the form of LSE PhD Studentships, LSE ESRC Studentships, LAHP AHRC Studentships and LSE & III PhD Studentships on Analysing and Challenging Inequalities. These awards are open to high calibre students of all nationalities studying across all research areas at the School but, in particular, we are seeking to support applications from: 

UK students 

Women whose research will be within the field of Economics, Finance, Accounting, Management, Mathematics, Statistics and Methodology 

Black, Minority, Ethnic students, especially from Black African/Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage 

LSE PhD Studentships  

LSE PhD Studentships are tenable for four years and cover full fees and an annual stipend, which was £20,622 for students starting in 2023. They are available for UK, EU and international students undertaking research in any LSE discipline, with annual renewal subject to satisfactory academic performance. 

These awards will be made solely on the basis of outstanding academic merit and research potential. This relates both to your past academic record and to an assessment of your likely aptitude to complete a PhD in your chosen topic in the time allocated.

These awards will be made solely on the basis of outstanding academic merit and research potential. This relates both to your past academic record and to an assessment of your likely aptitude to complete a PhD in your chosen topic in the time allocated. 

Studentships are tenable for four years and cover full fees and an annual stipend, which was £20,622 for students starting in 2023. 

ESRC funding  

LSE has an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) and has  ESRC studentships  in several programmes across 19 departments. These studentships are available for students of all nationalities. 

Studentships are tenable for three or four years, depending on the programme of study. They cover full fees (for international students, LSE will cover the difference between UK and overseas fees) and an annual stipend, which for 2023 entry was £20,622. 

Individual programme entries detail which programmes are eligible for ESRC funding. 

AHRC funding  

LSE is part of LAHP (London Arts and Humanities Partnership) , which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Students of all nationalities can apply for one of these studentships. 

Studentships are tenable for three years and they cover full fees (for international students, LSE will cover the difference between UK and overseas fees) and an annual stipend, which for 2023 entry was £20,622. LSE will also cover full fees and stipend for an additional fourth year. 

LSE Departments that typically host AHRC studentships are International History, Media and Communications, Philosophy and Law, but students from other disciplines (for example, Anthropology, Gender Studies and International Development), can also apply if their research falls within the remit of AHRC, as explained on the UK Research and Innovation website .

To be considered for a LAHP studentship for 2023 entry, students need to have applied for their chosen programme of studies. They will also need to submit a separate funding application to LAHP, deadline to be confirmed. Details of the application process can be found on the LAHP website . 

Department-specific funding 

Check the  programme-related funding page  for PhD funding opportunities. 

How to apply for funding

Except for LAHP studentships (see above), academic departments nominate students for the funding opportunity they may be eligible for. There is no separate application for LSE, ESRC and department-specific studentships. To be considered for this funding, you must submit your complete application for admission to LSE by a specific date. This date differs by academic department. 

• deadline for being considered for LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding for 2024 entry if you apply to a programme in the Law School : 1 December 2023

deadline for being considered for LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding for 2024 entry if you apply to a programme in the Department of Economics: 14 December 2023

deadline for being considered for the first round of LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding for 2024 entry for all other departments: 15 January 2024

deadline for being considered for the second round of LSE PhD Studentships for 2024 entry (some departments only): 25 April 2024 depending on the programme you are applying to. Details can be found on the individual programme page. 

For more information about fees and funding for research programmes at LSE, please view the Fees and Funding  page . 

Attaining Comprehensive Equality in Postgraduate Research Initiative

(ACE PGR Initiative) 

ACE PGR Initiative has been designed to improve the educational experiences and student outcomes of UK Black, Asian and minority-ethnic (BAME) candidates at PGR level.   With a focus on enhancing long-term academic success for PGR students, the ACE PGR Initiative will provide support to BAME candidates at three key stages of the PGR lifecycle: (1) Access, (2) Student Success, and (3) Career Progression. 

In the initial phase, the pilot scheme will concentrate primarily on increasing access to PGR study. The application fee will be waived for all self-identifying BAME applicants of UK nationality who apply to a MRes/PhD and MPhil/PhD programme at LSE.  All self-identifying UK BAME applicants will be automatically included in the scheme unless they use the opt-out option on the online application. This means that, in addition to the waiver of the application fee, opt-in UK BAME applicants will benefit from:  

a contextualised admissions process in line with the Office for Students’ guidance.  

a 15-minute pre-interview session with an academic staff member of the relevant department  

tailored admissions feedback if the application is unsuccessful. 

For more information about this initiative, please click here

ACE PGR Initiative Attaining Comprehensive Equality in Postgraduate Research

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April 14th, 2024

Book review | the architecture of disability: buildings, cities, and landscapes beyond access.

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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

In   The Architecture of Disability: Buildings, Cities, and Landscapes beyond Access , David Gissen  contends that the focus on access in design around disability perpetuates inequalities, arguing instead for centralising disabled people in architectural and urban planning.  Amy Batley finds that the book’s attempts to reframe disability in contemporary urban landscapes are overpowered by historical tangents and subjective claims.

The Architecture of Disability: Buildings, Cities, and Landscapes beyond Access.  David Gissen. University of Minnesota Press. 2022.

For Gissen, the existing architectural emphasis on creating urban spaces which are accessible for those with disabilities is “an incomplete response” which serves to “reinforce entrenched definitions of disability” (ix) by “view[ing] impairments as physical and mental aberrations and burdens to overcome” (xv). Rather than interpreting disability as an aberration for which compensations need to be made, Gissen calls for the creation of an architecture which coexists with disability.

Rather than interpreting disability as an aberration for which compensations need to be made, Gissen calls for the creation of an architecture which coexists with disability.

Gissen’s historical analysis is extensive and detailed, centralising historical examples of urban engagement with disability within the text. The author draws parallels between seemingly disparate historical examples, such as Athens’ Acropolis and Saint Denis’ Basilica , to argue that, in their current form, any reference to historical disability assistance at these two monuments has been minimised. For example, Gissen cites archaeological research which showed that, in Ancient Greece, the Acropolis featured ramps and the area was used by the elderly using canes and crutches. Gissen uses this second-hand historical context to claim that in the case of this monument, the space “might have been more relatable to its impaired visitors in the past than it is in its present-day condition” (9). This historical analysis is similarly strong in a later chapter, where Gissen’s discussion of 19th-century urbanism in Paris presents a refreshing read beyond the dominant urbanist tendency to blame many of contemporary Paris’ successes and ills on Baron Haussmann’s overhaul of the city’ urban planning.

Gissen cites archaeological research which showed that, in Ancient Greece, the Acropolis featured ramps and the area was used by the elderly using canes and crutches

Gissen also provides an additional new perspective from which to consider monumentality beyond existing urban analyses of their political manipulation for nation-building purposes. The author argues that present-day efforts to preserve the historic reference to the vulnerabilities of previous users at monumental sites exposes how contemporary monument management has “sublimated weakness and vulnerability as cultural values” (11) towards an idealised vision of the nation.

Though providing the reader with new perspectives from which to consider the role of disability in contemporary urban landscapes, the book’s central premise – of moving the consideration of disability in the city beyond questions of access – frequently becomes lost amid historical tangents whose relevance to the argument is not always made explicit. For example, Gissen continues his critique of monumentality in contemporary cities, but rather than tying the matter of monumentality to disability, Gissen loses focus and begins to question the role of Confederate and colonial monuments in the context of Black Lives Matter protests. The calls from those protestors deserve thorough consideration and academic debate, but the relevance to a discussion about the architecture of disability is not clarified. This reflects a broader structural problem with the book. Though the architectural and urban connections are intermittently addressed throughout the chapters, these relationships are not always clear, which leaves the reader to try to connect the dots.

Though the architectural and urban connections are intermittently addressed throughout the chapters, these relationships are not always clear, which leaves the reader to try to connect the dots.

Several of the book’s claims will likely frustrate fellow urbanists. This largely stems from the minimal referencing and portrayal of subjective statements as objective facts. For example, in discussing how the rationalisation of European and American cities has made them “some of the most inaccessible places” (53), Gissen takes issue with how the apparent “immensity and exposed quality of the boulevard make walking intimidating” (ibid.). Here, Giddens’ lack of reference to Haussmann’s renovations of Paris, which had been undertaken to enable better vision and military access to quash revolutionary fervour in the 18th-century city, seems to deliberately obfuscate a widely accepted understanding among urbanists. Gidden’s claim that boulevards are intimidating directly contradicts the general urban consensus that, in the right conditions, the surveillance – so-called “ eyes on the street ”– enabled by urban exposure can create feelings of security and, thus, implies a poor engagement with broader urban theory. Moreover, this argument that open urban spaces can intimidate and deter users is presented at a time when the architectural opening of urban spaces for security purposes has become preferable to hard-engineering measures and the militarisation of urban landscapes, which suggests that the author is choosing not to engage with some of the emerging urban challenges to which his thesis relates.

The book’s aspirations are admirable, presenting a much-needed consideration of the role of disability in contemporary cities. Unfortunately, the book’s historical tangents obscure its central argument while also revealing the author’s nostalgic vision for an urban life more reminiscent of Ancient Greece than one which can engage with the myriad of contemporary challenges faced by disabled people moving through and making lives in cities.

• This review first appeared at  LSE Review of Books .
• Image:  XArtProduction  on Shutterstock .
• Please read our comments policy before commenting .
• Note: This article gives the views of the reviewer, and not the position of USAPP – American Politics and Policy, nor of the London School of Economics. 
• Shortened URL for this post:  https://wp.me/p3I2YF-dKE

About the author

Amy is an urbanist, interested in how cities are modified by the threat and legacy of terrorism. Her writing on ‘Neurotic Cities’ is open-access: https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/conflict-and-society/7/1/arcs070106.xml

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Students in the School of Economics at the University of Nottingham consistently produce work of a very high standard in the form of coursework essays, dissertations, research work and policy articles.

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Thank you to all those students who have agreed to have their work showcased in this way.

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