Review

Reviewed Work(s): The Production of Space by H. Lefebvre and D. Nicholson-Smith

Review by: Derek Kerr
Source: Urban Studies , August 1992, Vol. 29, No. 6, SPECIAL ISSUE: REGIONAL AND
URBAN RESTRUCTURING IN EUROPE EUROPEAN SCIENCE FOUNDATION (August 1992),
pp. 1020-1023
Published by: Sage Publications, Ltd.

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43083501

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 1 020 BOOK REVIEWS

and transformation of urban form. This then

The Production of Space
leads, in theby
H. Lefebvre (translated subsequent chapters, to a con-
sideration
D. Nicholson-Smith), 1991 of "global space" as this moves
Oxford: Blackwell "From Absolute to Abstract Space" and in the
454 pp., £14.95 paperback, £49.50 hardback process reveals that the latter space is also a
"Contradictory Space" whose analysis requires
a reformulation of Marx's categories and
There has been a growing debate over the last
method. The penultimate chapter uncovers the
two decades or so about the concept and reality
potentialities inherent in absolute space under
of space and a desire to understand and explain
the title, "From the Contradictions of Space to
the restructuring of geographical space. The
Differential Space". These chapters are rich in
form and nature of this debate has been greatly
perceptive insight and sow the seeds for innu-
influenced by a work which was first published
merable lines of thought to be followed up, but
in French in 1974, and a recent and very
these can only really be grasped through a first-
welcome translation of this work provides an
hand reading (and in indeed re-reading, given
excellent opportunity to reassess, first-hand, the
its richness). All this review can hope to achieve
many insights that have informed this debate.
is to stimulate such a reading by presenting a
Henri Lefebvre's The Production of Space is a
limited and selective account of some aspects of
complex, long, yet a very stimulating and
the text.
rewarding book whose breadth of content mat-
ches its object. This object, the production of Lefebvre starts by rejecting the dominant
space, is important to Lefebvre as it directlyphilosophical and scientific "conceptions" of
space in order to develop a critical science of
addresses a fundamental, yet neglected ques-
tion within social theory: "What is the mode space,
of one which overcomes the separation of
existence of social relations?" (p. 401). Le- concept and reality and which is therefore
febvre's answer is that their mode of existence based on the concept and reality of the pro-
is spatial. 44 Their underpinning is spatial. In duction of space. As Lefebvre rightly points out,
each particular case, the connection between philosophy, on the one hand, tends to concern
this underpinning and the relations it supports itself with "mental" space, a space which is
calls for analysis" (p. 404). According to Le- formulated in the head of the thinker before
febvre, such an analysis must imply and explain being projected onto reality and which thereby
a genesis and also constitute a critique of the reduces that concrete reality to the abstract.
social forms that have transformed the space The sciences, on the other hand, start through a
under consideration. In other words, it must confrontation with reality, but waver between
provide "an exposition of the production of description and dissection. Things in space or
space" in which the critical moment is the pieces of space are described in accordance with
essential thing (p. 404). a division of scientific labour which artificially
Lefebvre develops his thesis and its implica- divides space into truncated fragments thereby
tions for both a knowledge of social reality and "setting up mental barriers and practico-social
the transformational potentialities inherent in frontiers" that frustrate a "science of space"
that reality through seven wide-ranging chap- (pp. 89 and 7). For Lefebvre, a science of space
ters which draw upon, in a critical way, philoso- requires a "unitary theory", one in which the
phy, economics, history, literature, psychoana- fundamental theoretical and methodological
lysis, architecture and art. The first chapter principle is "to reconnect elements that have
establishes the context for, and the main propo- been separated and to replace confusion by
sitions and implications of, his thesis; these are clear distinctions; to rejoin the severed and
then further defined and elaborated on in the reanalyse the commingled" (p. 413). Such a
following chapter, "Social Space". Through the theory must also bridge the gap between the
concept and reality of the production of space, space of the philosopher and the space of those
Lefebvre uncovers the genesis and historical who deal with and constitute the spatiality of
transformation of social space at two different material reality. This requires concepts that
scales. The chapter, "Spatial Architectonics", recognise their socio-historical determination
analyses the particularity of the production of and which reach out beyond themselves. It is
space in terms of the monument/ for this reason that Lefebvre draws upon the
abstract universais of production and the act of
building differentiation, the city and the genesis

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 BOOK REVIEWS 1021

producing as these space contains a "tripartite

concepts "extendordering" which
beyond
assigns (more or less)
philosophy" and constitute the an appropriate
basis placefor to ( 1 tran-
)
biological reproduction;
scending the particularity of the (2) the "scientific"
reproduction of
specialists (p. 1 5). It labour
is onlypower; and (3) the reproduction
through theof the
concep
of the production social
of relations
space of production.
that a While inextri-
science of
cably bound
space becomes possible, up withwhich
one one another, social
can spacerevea
the "truth of space" as opposed to the "true must discriminate between the three in order to
space" of traditional philosophy and its episte- "localise" them. To make matters more compli-
mologica! offshoots. The latter emerges from cated, social space also expresses specific repre-
the thinking head and has the dual function of sentations of the interaction between the social
reducing "real" space to the abstract and of relations of production and reproduction which
inducing minimal differences. The truth of serve to maintain these social relations in a
space, on the other hand, is generated by state of co-existence and cohesion. This gives
"analysis-followed-by-exposition" and ties rise to a "conceptual triad", for all epochs,
space to social practice and to concepts deriva- which is central to Lefebvre's analysis: "the
tive of practice (p. 9). His overall "project", perceived-conceived-lived triad (in spatial
then, "does not aim to produce a (or the) terms: spatial practice, representations of space,
discourse on space, but rather to expose the representational spaces) [which] loses all force
actual production of space by bringing the if it is treated as an abstract 'model' " (p. 40). In
various kinds of space and the modalities of other words, what Lefebvre is concerned with is
their genesis together within a single theory" the "long history of space ", expressed in terms
(p. 16, second emphasis mine). of this "conceptual triad" (p. 1 16).

The implication of conceptualising space as In developing this specific history, Lefebvre

the basis and result of productive activity is that distinguishes between the particular levels of
space is seen to be, not just a relation, but the architectural, which includes the monu-
"inherent to property relationships (especially ment/building differentiation as well as the
the ownership of the earth, of the land) and also urban, and the more "global level" which has
closely bound up with the forces of production its own mode of existence and its effects are
(which impose a form on that earth or land)" qualitatively different from partial effects. The
(p. 85). In this way, Lefebvre uncovers "the chapter entitled "Spatial Architectonics" con-
polyvalence of social space, its 'reality' at once tains many thought-provoking insights into the
formal and material. Though a product to be history of social space as expressed through the
used, to be consumed, it is also a means of built form. Lefebvre illustrates, for example,
production; networks of exchange and flows of how, for certain periods in history, "monumen-
raw materials and energy fashion space and aretality" took in all the aspects of "spatiality"; i.e.
determined by it" (p. 85). Given this interpreta- the perceived, the conceived and the lived.
tion of social space, it cannot be treated as a Monumental space offered each member of a
thing among other things, a product amongsociety an image of that membership, an image
other products. Rather, it subsumes things of his or her social visage. In and through this
produced, and encompasses their inter-rela-form, everyone partook, and partook fully -
tionships in their co-existence and simultaneity.albeit, naturally, under the conditions of a
Furthermore, this conception of social space generally-accepted Power and a generally-ac-
cepted Wisdom. The monument thus effected a
means that there is an unlimited multiplicity, or
uncountable set, of social spaces, generically'consensus' rendering it practical and concrete
referred to as "social space", which "interpene-(p. 220). Capitalist society, by contrast, no
trate one another and/or superimpose them- longer totalises its elements, nor seeks to
selves upon one another" (p. 86). Another achieve such a total integration through monu-
important implication of Lefebvre's conception ments. Instead, it strives to distil its essence
is that each mode of production produces itsinto buildings. Buildings displace monuments
own social space which contains and expresses and "successfully combine the object of control
by power with the object of commercial ex-
two interrelated sets of relations, the relations
of production and reproduction. However, ac- change" (p. 227). As Lefebvre puts it, "the
cording to Lefebvre, the advent of capitalism building effects a brutal condensation of social
relationships" and "embraces, and in so doing
complicates matters. In capitalist society, social

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 1022 BOOK REVIEWS

reduces, the established

whole and constituted byof
paradigm violence"
space ...
227). But as (p. 280). The
Lefebvre development of"displacemen
argues, accumulation
every bit as through violencehere
important broke the old
asspatial forms
condensa
witness the predominance giving rise to the nation-state, based on a
of 'amenities', w
are a mechanism for the localization and circumscribed territory, that triumphed over
'punctualisation' of activities, including both the city-state and the imperial state. What
leisure
pursuits, sports and games." These are thus
is interesting and extremely useful is Lefebvre's
concentrated in specially equipped spaces emphasisandon the spatiality of the state. "With-
they "supply 'syntagmatic' links between out the concept of space and of its production
activi-
ties within social space as such ..." (p. 227). the framework of power (whether as reality or
Moving to the "global level", Lefebvre traces concept) simply cannot achieve concrete-
the change from absolute to abstract space ness . . . the state framework, and the state as
through an analysis of the rise and fall of Greek framework, cannot be conceived of without
society and of the Roman state-city-Empire. reference to the instrumental space that they
During the early medieval period a new space make use of. Indeed each new form of the state,
was established which supplanted "absolute each new form of political power, introduces its
space" and secularised the religious and politi- own particular way of partitioning space, its
cal space of Rome. The urban landscape of the own particular administrative classification of
Middle Ages turned the space which preceded discourses about space and about things and
it, the space of the 'world' in which the cryptpeople in space" (p. 28 1). Lefebvre develops the
and death was the focus of social life, upon itsform and nature of this abstract space as
head. The great cathedrals "decrypt" space, expressed in and through the state, one which is
marking the emancipation of society from the global, fragmented and hierarchical, and also
crypt and from cryptic space, and concentratedefines "it" as the space through which the
the diffuse meaning of space onto the medieval capitalist 'trinity' is rendered concrete (p. 282).
town. From this inversion of space, Lefebvre It is in this space that the world of commodities
then illustrates how a space was created for a is deployed, along with all that it entails:
new space to emerge, the space of accumulation accumulation and growth, calculation, plan-
in which the urban form and the state played aning, programming. As Lefebvre points out,
central role. "The historical mediation between however, abstract space does have a clearly
defined status. It is not abstract in the sense of
medieval (or feudal) space and the capitalist
space which was to result from accumulation mental space, although it is grasped through
was located in urban space - the space of those abstractions. Rather it is the spatial form of
'urban systems' which established themselves social relations in capitalist society, one whose
during the transition" (p. 268). Urban space, "truth" is its "contradictory character within
which had a rationality of calculation and the framework of the dominant tendency to-
exchange, became "abstraction in action" - wards homogeneity (i.e. towards the establish-
active abstraction - vis-à-vis the space of na- ment of a dominated space)" (p. 411). It is
ture, generality as opposed to singularities, and therefore also a contradictory space, being
the universal principle in statu nascendi, inte- the result of the violence inherent in its pro-
grating specificities even as it uncovered them duction, and these contradictions are revealed
(p. 269). Later, in a second spiral of spatial by analysis.
abstraction, the state took over from the urban Such an analysis is important for Lefebvre as
while still preserving the latter (pp. 271 and it is only through grasping the contradictory
269). character of abstract space and by forcing such
At this point, Lefebvre gives a very interest- contradictions beyond their limit that the possi-
ing perspective on the state, one which is at bility of differential space arises, a space that is
odds with much of the contemporary debate on expressive of quality, difference, and liberation.
the state and which, hopefully, will help to In order to achieve such an understanding,
transform that debate. The state, for Lefebvre, Lefebvre adopts a particular reading of Capital
is a differentiated unity of violence and terri- and of Marx's method; one that claims that
tory. "Sovereignty implies 'space', and what is Marx abandoned the 'binary' capital relation in
more it implies a space against which violence, favour of the 'trinity' of capital labour and land
whether latent or overt, is directed - a space and that it was this late conversion that partly

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 BOOK REVIEWS 1023

explains "why space failed

Marx "itself' appears to
to become "the principal
bring his wor
a conclusion" (p. stake of goal-directed
325). Lefebvre, actions and struggles"
therefo
tends to displace and as such
the marks "a transitional
capital relationperiod be- in fa
of the trinity tween theand
formula mode of further
production and things in
suggests
the 'problematic' of land and space is com- space and mode of production of space"
pletely different from that which existed when(p. 410). Space, then, for Lefebvre, is not simply
Marx was writing Capital , therefore necessitat-a medium, "its role is less and less neutral,
ing even more modifications to Marx's more and more active, both as instrument and
"schema". Moreover, according to Lefebvre, goal, as means and as end" (p. 411). However, it
Marx's method "was based on an analysis of is not clear what Lefebvre means here, although
historical time, of temporality" which is a he does refer to the possibility that the contra-
limiting perspective because, today, "there are dictions of (abstract) space can give rise to
spatial contradictions which imply and explain "counter projects" and "counter spaces"; ones
contradictions in historical time, though with-which counter quantity with quality, exchange
out being reducible to them" (p. 331). To value with use value, and give rise to differen-
accommodate this, Lefebvre refers to "contra- tial space.
dictions of space", which are different from and To conclude, then, Lefebvre provides many
becoming more important than the "contradic-insights and brings to the fore the forgotten, yet
tions in space" which, for him, are "the classicalever present, spatiality of social existence and
contradictions engendered by history and by the ways in which that spatiality is produced,
lived and experiencd and how it can in turn
historical time". There is a sense, then, in which
Lefebvre appears to accept the abstractions ofserve to maintain social relations in a state of
capitalist society. Class struggle and history areco-existence and cohesion. Particularly impor-
reduced to abstract time and exist in the tant is his elaboration of abstract space, the
container of abstract space, while this space form has
and function of the "building" and the
contradictions of its own which can then exter- process of urbanisation, and the ways in which
nally "envelop historical contradictions". But space and violence constitute the essence and
by separating out contradictions of space from modus operandi of the state. Despite disagree-
those in space and by reducing class struggle ing with Lefebvre's interpretation of Marx's
and history to the latter, it is not clear whatmethod and his reading of Capital , the rich-
constitutes the contradictions of space. In fact ness and stimulating nature of The Production
Lefebvre displays a tension in his work for he of Space make it a must for all those who are
appears to recognise this in a way that under- interested in understanding the form and im-
mines his distinction between contradictions of plications of the spatiality of contemporary
capitalism.
and in space. "Spatial practice regulates life - it
does not create it. Space has no power 4in itself,
nor does space as such determine spatial contra- Derek Kerr
dictions. These are contradictions of society . . . Heriot-Watt University ,
that simply emerge in space, at the level of Edinburgh
space, and so engender the contradictions of
space" (p. 358). Despite this, Lefebvre goes on
to argue that questions of space and the
contradictions of space are central to late
London: A New Metropolitan Geography
capitalism. In this way, 'real property' and the
K. Hoggart and D. R. Green (Eds), 1991
'construction industry' now "has a leading role"
Sevenoaks: Edward Arnold
and is no longer a secondary form of circula-
255 pp., £35.00 hardback
tion, no longer a backward branch of industry
that it once was (p. 335).
Discovering the objectives of this volume on
Having moved from the contradictory nature the geography of London is extremely difficult.
of abstract space to contradictions of space, According to the preface it wants to be "a
Lefebvre suggests that the latter contains the reference guide" which implies a comprehen-
potential space for the emergence of a new sive coverage of the subject, and yet it also
order, that of differential space. In fact, given claims it will not attempt to be "encyclopae-
the emphasis placed on spatially by Lefebvre, dic". It "is not a textbook . . . ", yet many of the

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