ABSTRACT
Southeast Asia as a region was only ‘discovered’ after the mid-twentieth century. Thus the discourse frame itself was contingent, while the internal structure was for several decades contested by nationalisms and neocolonialism. During the Cold War period, cities were very much subsidiary to nation-states. Since then, along with a tidal wave of globalization, city-regions have emerged into new prominence that challenges political structures and familiar imaginings, not least by academics themselves. The result is an intellectual mess.
