Towards a theory of logistics urbanism: how the transport fix, racialized low-wage labor, and engagement with the state define Chicago’s role as the inland port city of North America

Acosta-Cordova, Jose Miguel

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Description

Title

Towards a theory of logistics urbanism: how the transport fix, racialized low-wage labor, and engagement with the state define Chicago’s role as the inland port city of North America

Author(s)

Acosta-Cordova, Jose Miguel

Issue Date

2025-07-16

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Cidell, Julie L

Committee Member(s)

• Wilson, David
• Alvarado, Nikolai A
• Bada, Xóchitl

Department of Study

Geography & GIS

Discipline

Geography

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Transportation
• Urban Logistics
• Marxist Geographies
• Labor
• Environmental Justice

Abstract

The growth of the global logistics economy has profoundly reshaped urban regions, generating new forms of spatial organization, labor segmentation, and political struggle. This dissertation develops a theory of logistics urbanism through an in-depth case study of Chicago, the preeminent inland port city in North America. This study examines three central theoretical contributions: (1) the transport fix—the use of massive investments in transportation infrastructure to resolve spatial and temporal contradictions of capital accumulation; (2) the materialization of the space of flows—the physical inscription of global supply chains onto local urban space through warehouses, intermodal terminals, and distribution centers; and (3) the state as an arena of conflict—the contested role of state institutions in facilitating logistics development while simultaneously mediating its socio-environmental consequences. Chicago’s logistics boom has depended on a highly racialized, segmented, and precarious labor force. Drawing on data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), this dissertation analyzes the racial stratification of low-wage labor across the transportation, distribution, and logistics (TDL) sectors, revealing how Black, Latino, and immigrant workers disproportionately occupy the most vulnerable positions in warehousing, trucking, and delivery. These patterns are situated within broader dynamics of racial capitalism that structure both the labor process and spatial inequalities inherent to logistics urbanism. Furthermore, this dissertation advances the literature by incorporating community-led forms of citizen science as a means of resistance within the state apparatus. The Chicago Truck Count Data Portal—a collaborative project led by environmental justice organizations, citywide nonprofits, and grassroots advocates—serves as a crucial case study of how communities of color leverage scientific practices to contest the environmental and health burdens imposed by logistics infrastructure. In the absence of comprehensive governmental monitoring of truck traffic and its associated air pollution, citizen science initiatives have produced empirical evidence that challenges state-sanctioned development narratives and demands regulatory accountability. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach—combining GIS spatial analysis, secondary data on labor and industry, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews—this dissertation illuminates how logistics urbanism is not simply a technocratic or economic phenomenon, but a deeply contested socio-political process. Ultimately, this work contributes to scholarly debates in urban political economy, logistics geographies, racial capitalism, and environmental justice, offering a framework for understanding how marginalized communities contest the uneven landscapes produced by the global logistics economy.

Graduation Semester

2025-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129830

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 José Miguel Acosta-Córdova

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