IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

Proud of their millennial and multi-civilisational cultural past, the inhabitants of Carthage also express their concern about the urban future of their city-site, given that the archaeological heritage is scattered over 60% of its territory and remains like a historical archipelago in a contemporary urban space. At the same time, the City of Carthage is a member of most foreward-looking international and national networks, pacts and political actions. However, given the current situation of its urban landscape, Carthage is very different from its ‘glorious’ past, and its contribution to current debates is limited to historical and tourism aspects, with little impact on its socio-economic development. An analysis of the societal challenges facing Carthage has clearly revealed their interconnexions, with the vulnerability of the food system being in pole position, as evidenced vividly during Covid-19. While there are many drivers and factors behind local food vulnerability – and the erosion of the social cohesion that has accompanied or caused it – the absence of an urban planning policy that integrates the archaeological area into a new local development model seems to us a major reason. Against this complex background, a recent participatory urban design and planning project has set out to explore Carthage’s transition to an “edible city”, employing food both as a tool for envisaging a desirable, collective future and as a sustainable aim in itself. The project’s multi-disciplinary team includes the authors, and our paper will discuss the relevance of this planning approach through the prism of food.