"Some cities seem destined to become major financial capitals, yet never do - Seville, for instance, was the centre of Spain's opulent New World Empire, but failed to become a financial metropolis. Others, like former colonial backwater Hong Kong, defy the odds by growing into major trading...

Introduction: building stories -- Routes of accumulation -- Speculating on Indian futures -- The India story -- Betting on the future -- Constructing consumer India -- Conflict and commensuration -- Transparency and control -- Developers' quest for credibility and capital -- Quality projects I:...