Topothesia interprets urban planning as a form of speculative fiction intertwined with British colonialism and liberalism, shaped by a distinct understanding of place. The focus is on town planning from the late nineteenth century to today, illustrating how Britain's contemporary geography—characterized by stark inequalities and racial divisions—reflects ideologies rooted in colonial contexts. Planning serves as a speculative tool for envisioning future places that promise to resolve political conflicts while remaining tantalizingly achievable in reality. This imaginative process is deeply embedded in the ideological framework of colonialism and the historical legacy of empire. The term Topothesia refers to a rhetorical device that vividly depicts often-imaginary places, which Vijay uses to frame urban planning as a narrative genre. Even in its most routine documents, planning is driven to create elaborate fantasies of future environments. The book analyzes various planning movements over time to reveal the form and implications of their speculative visions. In crafting these visions, planners often appropriated literary critiques and future aspirations, embracing literature's aesthetics while sidelining its political dimensions. Concurrently, Vijay highlights how writers and artists have navigated these colonial imaginaries, seeking alternative representations of place.
