The city is so vast and we have so much to say to each otherWord格式.docx

The city is so vast and we have so much to say to each otherWord格式.docx

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-FrancoisPeriertoGuiliettaMasinainFedericoFellini’sNightsof 

Cabiria（1957）

EcologicalUrbanism-isthatnotanoxymoroninthesamewaythatahybridSUVisanoxymoron?

Howcanthecity,withallitsmechanismsofconsumption-itsdevouringofenergy,itsinsatiabledemandforfood-everbeecological?

Inonesensethe“projectofurbanism,”ifwecancallitsuch,runscountertothatofecology,withitsemphasisontheinterrelationshipoforganismsandtheenvironment-anemphasisthatinvariablyexcludeshumanintervention.Andyetitisrelativelyeasytoimagineacitythatismorecarefulinitsuseofresourcesthaniscurrentlythenorm,moreenergyefficientinitsdailyoperations-likeahybridcar.Butisthatenough?

Isitenoughforarchitects,landscapearchitects,andurbaniststosimplyconceiveofthefutureoftheirvariousdisciplinesintermsofengineeringandconstructingamoreenergy-efficientenvironment?

Asimportantasthequestionofenergyistoday,theemphasisonquantity-onenergyreduction-obscuresitsrelationshipwiththequalitativevalueofthings.

Inotherwords,weneedtoviewthefragilityoftheplanetanditsresourcesasanopportunityforspeculativedesigninnovationsratherthanasaformoftechnicallegitimationforpromotingconventionalsolutions.Byextension,theproblemsconfrontingourcitiesandregionswouldthenbecomeopportunitiestodefineanewapproach.Imagininganurbanismthatisotherthanthestatusquorequiresanewsensibility-onthathasthecapacitytoincorporateandaccommodatetheinherentconflictualconditionsbetweenecologyandurbanism.Thisistheterritoryofecologicalurbanism.

ThreeNarratives-Thereisampleevidenceallaroundusofthescopeofthechallengeweface.Awhileago,asingleissueoftheGuardiannewspaperintheUnitedKingdombychancecarriedthreearticlesthataddressedfundamentalquestionsofsustainability.Suchstoriesarenowtypicalofwhatonereadsonadailybasisandconstitutethenormratherthananexception.

Thefirst,byCanadianpoliticaljournalistNaomiKlein,exploredtheconnectionsbetweentheinvasionofIraqandtheoilboominAlberta.”Forfouryearsnow,AlbertaandIraqhavebeenconnectedtoeachotherthroughakindofinvisiblesee-saw,”saysKlein.”AsBaghdadburns,destabilizingtheentireregionandsendingoilpricessoaring,Calgarybooms.”Klein’sarticlegivesaglimpseofalargeterritorybeinglaidtowasteinthesearchforoil.Albertahas“vastdepositsofbitumen-black,tarlikegoothatismixedupwithsand,clay,waterandoil…approximately2.5trillionbarrelsofthestuff,thelargesthydrocarbondepositsintheworld.”Theprocessesinvolvedinturningthesetarsandsintocrudearebothcomplexandcostly.Onemethodinvolvesopen-castmining.Forthis,greatforestshavetobeleveledandthetopsoilremovedbeforehuge,speciallydesignedmachinesdigoutthebitumenandplaceitintheworld’slargesttwo-storydumptrucks.Thetaristhenchemicallydilutedandspunarounduntiltheoilrisestothetop.Thewasteproducts,thetailings,aredumpedinpondsthataccordingtoKleinarelargerthantheregion’snaturallakes.Asecondmethodinvolvesthedrillingoflargepipesthatpushsteamdeepundergroundtomeltthetarbeforeasecondpipetransfersitthroughvariousstagesofrefining.

Bothoftheseprocessesaremuchmoreexpensivethanconventionaloildrilling;

theyalsoproducethreetofourtimestheamountofgreenhousegases.Despitethis,theybecamefinanciallyviableaftertheinvasionofIraq,andresultedinCanadaovertakingSaudiArabiaastheleadingsupplierofoiltotheUnitedStates.The“success”ofthisenterprisehasledthePembinaInstitute,anonprofitthink-tankthatadvancessustainableenergysolutions,towarnofthethreattoanareaofborealforestaslargeasthestateofFlorida.MorerecentlytheInstitute,togetherwithEcojustice,haspresentedevidencedocumentingthedamagingeffectsofoil-sandsdevelopmentonAlberta’sfresh-waterresources.Theextentofthisenvironmentaldevastation,encompassingland,air,andwater-allinaidofrelativelycheapoilfortheconsumerandheftyprofitsfortheoilcompanies-isavividreminderoftheurgentneedforfutureconurbationstodiscoveranddesignalternativeandefficientwaysofusingenergyresources.

Thesecondstoryinvolvedtheconstructionofahigh-riseresidenceinMumbaiforoneofIndia’srichesttycoons,MukeshAmbani,chairmanofthecountry’slargestprivate-sectorcompany,theRelianceGroup.Thebuilding,calledAntillaafteramythicalisland,isequivalentinheighttoasixty-storytowerblock.BesidesprovidingaccommodationforAmbani,hismother,hiswife,threechildren,and600full-timestaff,itcomeswithitsownhelipad,healthclub,andsixfloorsofparking.Thefamily’sproposedmovefromitscurrentresidence,amerefourteenstorieshigh,hasbeengivenadditionalimpetusbytherapidgrowthoftheIndianeconomyandthesimmeringrivalrybetweenMukeshAmbaniandhisbrother.AccordingtoPrafulBidwai,alocalnewspapercolumnistquotedinthearticle,“thereisgrowingangeraboutsuchabsurdspending,”asthedividebetweenrichandpoorisbecomingobscene.Eventhenameofthis“house”suggeststheideaofseparationandthedesireforautonomyfromtherestofMumbai.Butistheresuchathingasour“individualshare”oftheresourcesthatourcitieshavetooffer?

Whataretheguidelinesforevaluatingtheimpactofabuildingonthecity,notjustintermsofitsaestheticappearancebutalsoinrelationtoitsethicalperformance?

Thethirdstorywasaboutthemakingofafilm,GrowYourOwn,whichchroniclestheprogressofagroupoftraumatizedasylum-seekersastheyworktheirinner-cityallotmentgardensinLiverpool.Thefilmwasinspiredbytheresearchofapsychotherapist,MargritRuegg,whorunsarefugeesupportcenter.Herexperiencehadshownthetherapeuticaswellasthephysicalbenefitsofgardening.“Many[refugees]hadleftsuchplacesasSomalia,AngolaandtheBalkansinhorrificcircumstances,“saysCarlHunter,oneoftheproducersofthefilm.“Warhadrobbedthemoftheirhomes,theirfamiliesand,inmanycases,theiridentities.Margrit’sexperiencewasthat,intheconfinementofaroomwithadeskandachair,therefugeesclammedup.Butonceshe’dhadtheideaofgivingthemeachalittleplotofland,theywereable,overtime,toopenuptoher.”Thestoryoftheseallotmentsisnotsimplylimitedtothelivesoftherefugeesbutisinturnentangledwiththelocalcommunity-withthetensionsandconflictsbetweenpeopleofdiverseculturalandethnicbackgrounds.Intendingtotheirvegetablesontheplots,alongsidetheirneighbors,theparticipantsareable,inamodestandunsentimentalway,toconstructacollaborativeandproductivegroundforcommunicationandintegration.

Thesethreestoriesareallfacetsofthemultiplerealitiesthatourindividualandgroupactionsshapeinthecontextofthecontemporaryurbandomain.Takentogether,theyilluminateGregoryBateson’sargumentthat,incontradistinctiontotheDarwiniantheoryofnaturalselection,“theunitofsurvivalisorganismplustheenvironment.”AbroaderarticulationofBateson’sideascanbefoundinFelixGuattari’sTheThreeEcologies,aprofoundyetconcisemanifestationofarelationalandholisticapproachtoourunderstandingofecologicalissues.Guattari’sethico-politicalconceptof“ecosophy”isdevelopedintheformofthreeecological“registers”（environment,socialrelations,andhumansubjectivity）.LikeBateson,Guattariplacesemphasisontherolethathumansplayinrelationtoecologicalpractices.Andaccordingtohim,theappropriateresponsetotheecologicalcrisiscanonlybeachievedonaglobalscale,“providedthatitbringsaboutanauthenticpolitical,socialandculturalrevolution,reshapingtheobjectivesoftheproductionofbothmaterialandimmaterialassets.”

OneofthemostimportantaspectsofGuattari’sargumentconcernstheinterrelationsbetweenindividualresponsibilitiesandgroupactions.Anemphasisontheroleofthe“ecosophicproblematic,”asawaytoshapehumanexistencewithinnewhistoricalcontexts,leadstoaproposedreformulationofthe“subject.”InplaceoftheCartesiansubject,whosebeingissolelydefinedbyitsthinking,Guattarihas“componentsofsubjectification”whoengagewithreal“territoriesofexistence,”thatis,withtheeverydaydomainsoftheirlivesandactions.Thesealternativeprocessesofsubjectificationarenotrootedinsciencebutinsteadembraceanew“ethico-aesthetic”paradigmastheirprimarysourceofinspiration.

Guattari’sposition,developedattheendofthe1980s,isasmuchacriticismofadepoliticizedstructuralism/postmodernismthat“hasaccustomedustoavisionoftheworlddrainedofthesignificanceofhumanintervention”asitisanethicalandaestheticprojectthatpromotesthe“reshapingoftheobjectivesoftheproductionofbothmaterialandimmaterialassets.”Sucharadicalapproach,ifappliedtotheurbandomain,wouldresultinaformofecologicaldesignpracticethatdoesnotsimplytakeaccountofthefragility

Thecityhistoricallyconstructedisnolongerlivedandisnolongerunderstoodpractically.Itisonlyanobjectofculturalconsumptionfortourists,foraestheticism,avidforspectaclesandthepicturesque.Evenforthosewhoseektounderstanditwithwarmth,itisgone.Yet,theurbanremainsinastateofdispersedandalienatedactuality,askernelandvirtuality.Whattheeyesandanalysisperceiveonthegroundcanat