The relationship between urbanization and mining is a precarious one; the latter often expands at the expense of the former. The incautious urban planning of a mining city in southeastern DR Congo, however, has opened up opportunities for residents with artisanal mining skills. Since the city is constructed on top of mineral deposits, the residents are able to dig ore in their own backyards to draw their subsistence. Based upon archival and ethnographic research, Geenen argues that, by self-generating the livelihoods they expected their resource-rich soil to bring forth, these artisanal diggers take advantage of the urbanized mineral deposits and write their own narrative of capitalism.

城市化与采矿之间的关系是一种不稳定的关系；后者往往以牺牲前者为代价而扩张。然而，刚果民主共和国东南部一个矿业城市的粗心城市规划为具有手工采矿技能的居民提供了机会。由于这座城市建在矿藏之上，居民可以在自己的后院挖掘矿石以维持生计。基于档案和人种学研究，Geenen 认为，通过自创生计，他们期望资源丰富的土壤能带来生计，这些手工挖掘者利用城市化的矿床，写下他们自己的资本主义叙事。