The City as a Democratic Frontier in an 'Authoritarian Age'

Are cities really more progressive than the nations they sit within - and can they hold the democratic line as authoritarianism rises? Recorded on 25 June 2026 at LSE's Hong Kong Theatre, this public lecture examines the relationship between cities and democracy. From the town square to the city hall, urban life has long been intertwined with democratic practice - but is the idea of the city as a shield against populism and nationalism grounded in reality, or is it a comforting myth? And if cities do hold democratic potential, how can they use it to build an alternative politics? Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, was unfortunately unable to attend in person. Her address was delivered on her behalf by Dr Doutje Lettinga, the City of Amsterdam's Chief Science Officer. This event formed the public element of a three-day academic workshop on cities, democracy and authoritarianism, organised by LSE, King's College London and Queen Mary University of London. Speakers: Professor Sheila R. Foster Professor Avner de Shalit Dr Doutje Lettinga (reading Femke Halsema, Mayor of Amsterdam's speech). Chair: Professor Ben Rogers Event details: https://www.lse.ac.uk/Cities/events/p... To turn on captions, go to the bottom-right of the video player and click the icon. Please note that this feature uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology, or machine generated transcription, and is not 100% accurate. LSE Cities is an international centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science that investigates the complexities of the contemporary city through research, education, engagement and advisory activities in London and abroad.