IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Without an effective urban planning model that addresses climate change, world urbanization will continue damaging the environment and harm Life. Research shows that the impact of humankind on Earth had reached a breaking point during the industrialization of the Global North, leading to what is known as the “Anthropocene.” Today, construction is the most damaging industry worldwide and urbanization models sustains modes of living that are equally harmful to ecosystems. Architects and urban planners are increasingly concerned with the impact of their projects on the environment. But they lack conceptual models to reconcile those concerns with the increasing demand for new constructions. This paper provides the rationale for “Deanthropic Urbanism” as a pragmatic urban planning model with the aim to limit the direct or indirect consequences of the human-made environments on soils, the air and water holistically. Departing from a scientific understanding of climate change, it builds from and against a series of recent calls by the urban planning and architecture community to effectively reduce the impact of cities, settlements and infrastructure on Earth. It then provides examples of what deanthropic urban planning and architecture could be, and discusses its position and posture in relation to previous and contemporary urban planning models. The paper concludes on a global call for action inviting researchers, practitioners and policy-makers to rally around this new global project for a sustainable transition and a new, more hopeful humanity.