The Cancelled Future: Neoliberal Capitalism and the Urban Crisis of Imagination

Abstract

In an era defined by capitalist realism, our collective ability to imagine futures beyond neoliberal frameworks has been profoundly constrained, giving rise to “cancelled futures”. This imaginative paralysis is particularly evident in urban planning, where gentrification has homogenised urban spaces and created displacement. Looking at Montréal, this paper examines how the crises of capitalist realism and urban commodification have reshaped cities, limiting the possibilities for equitable and inclusive futures. I first demonstrate how capitalist realism perpetuates cancelled futures and facilitates the forces of gentrification. I explore how these dynamics have contributed to the transformation of Montréal's urban landscape, prioritising market-driven development. Second, I turn to memory to argue that the persistence of unrealised pasts can serve as a counterforce to this imaginative stasis. It investigates how memory activism and haunting are mobilised in Montréal to contest the erasures caused by gentrification, allowing residents to reclaim suppressed possibilities.