Benjamin H. Bradlow is assistant professor of sociology and international affairs at Princeton University.

"Urban Power is a praiseworthy entry in the growing ranks of serious comparative urban analyses; it’s a wonderful, illuminating book that deserves the attention of every urbanist."---Jerome Hodos, Contemporary Sociology --- "[Urban Power] displays the power of effective South–South comparison, through his analysis of Johannesburg and São Paulo. . . . The book is beautifully crafted with careful attention paid to the reporting of the empirical work. The granular accounts of respondents’ experiences provide a rich tapestry for the theorizing it enables."---Nancy Odendaal, Journal of the American Planning Association --- "Urban Power performs an essential service by bringing the city and its political institutions back into the study of democracy and development. . . . Bradlow's book offers valuable lessons for activists seeking to influence state power and achieve meaningful reform. His insights point toward a vision of citizen-centered city-making, one in which all residents are able to derive social and economic value from the urban spaces they inhabit. Yet as the case of Johannesburg makes clear, such transformations depend on more than grassroots mobilization, political turnover, or legal reform. They require urban power."---Jeffrey W. Paller, European Journal of Sociology --- "Bradlow confronts one of the most urgent and elusive challenges of our urban age: how can democratic governance reduce inequality in cities that were built to entrench it? The book’s answer is at once intuitive and analytically original. . . . [An] important contribution."---Manuel Schechtl, Social Forces --- "Benjamin Bradlow delivers an illuminating account of urban governance processes and their potential to reduce inequality. . . . Urban Power is a must-read to understand the factors underlying urban inequality and the pivotal role of civil society in urban development."---Simón Escoffier, Perspectives on Politics --- "Bradlow’s book illuminates how rapid urbanisation, entrenched inequality and fiscal constraints intersect. . . . For anyone interested in the politics of making cities fairer, it is essential reading."---Astrid R.N. Haas, The Conversation --- "Urban Power offers an important and intriguing comparison of two cities, and a theoretical framework that should propel research on development and the local state for years to come"---Marcel Paret, The Journal of Development Studies --- "Urban Power is a landmark contribution to the study of urban governance and inequality, particularly in new democracies where addressing persistent patterns of social and spatial exclusion and improving the quality of life for slum residents are urgent priorities."---Ivan Souza Vieira, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research --- "Winner of the Charles Tilly Best Book Award, Collective Behavior and Social Movements section of the American Sociological Association" --- "Honorable Mention for the Best Book Award, Sociology of Development Section of the American Sociological Association" --- "Winner of the Best Book Award, Subnational Politics and Society Section of the Latin American Studies Association" --- "Finalist for the Political and Social Sciences Book Award, Forward INDIES"