Earthly Cities

The earthly city presents two distinct sections. It firstly takes the reader through the history of urban development: from the muscle city, powered by human and animal labour, through the machine cities of the industrialisation era, to the current boundless cities, characterised by global communication, blurred city distinctions. It introduces the concept of the earthly city as a close, harmonious interweaving of people and nature.

The second section grapples with the urgent need to rethink urbanism in the face of the climate crisis. It calls for a paradigm shift for a sustainable future. It explores the polarised responses to the climate crisis: technological optimism versus hyperlocal sustainability. The earthly, however, moves away from globalisation and locality, focusing on our interconnectedness with Earth’s ecosystems.