Week 1: Introducing

cities in the
Anthropocene, Part 2
DR SARA FULLER SARA .FULLER@MQ.EDU.AU
G E O P 1 0 8 0 U R B A N P L A N E T: C I T I E S A N D P L A N N I N G I N T H E A N T H R O P O C E N E
Learning outcomes
1. To introduce the idea of an urban planet and the concept
of urbanisation
2. To consider why cities matter in the context of the
Anthropocene
3. To explore different pathways for urban futures in the
Anthropocene
1. An urban
planet
 Our urban planet

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/mar/19/urban-explosion-kinshasa-el-alto-growth-mexico-city-bangalore-lagos
A world of cities

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division: World Urbanization Prospects, the 2018 Revision
 KEY CONCEPT:
Urbanisation

•The proportion of the

population living in
urban areas
Understanding urbanisation

Urban systems: interdependent Urban form: physical structure

urban settlements within region and organisation of cities

Urbanisation
Urban ecology:
Urbanism: way of life fostered
social/demographic composition
by urban settings
of districts
What do we mean by urban?
A concept used to describe the relationships that structure urban
dynamics and describes the physical form of cities that take shape
Also a way of life: broadly characterised by large populations, high
densities, and the social diversity of humans living together in cities
2. Cities in the
Anthropocene
Welcome to the Anthropocene

https://vimeo.com/39048998
 KEY CONCEPT: The
Anthropocene
•A geological time interval, in
which many conditions and
processes on Earth are
profoundly altered by
human impact
What is the Anthropocene?
Term coined by Paul Crutzen (2000)
Argued that human activities potentially
shaping a new geologic age in which the
collective impact of human activities is
sufficient to significantly alter the
conditions of life on planet Earth
Ongoing debates about whether the
Anthropocene is an official geologic age

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/30/anthropocene-epoch-
have-we-entered-a-new-phase-of-planetary-history
 Planetary boundaries ‘for a safe
operating space’ for humanity
Green areas: human activities
that are within safe margins
Yellow areas: human activities
that may or may not have
exceeded safe margins
Orange areas: human activities
that have exceeded safe margins

https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries/planetary-boundaries/about-the-research/the-nine-
planetary-boundaries.html
Anthropocene cities
Choices and consequences before us and the responsibilities to future
generations and other forms of life on this planet
Need to re-think the path-dependencies that have locked us into
specific urban political and economic forms
3. Planning cities in
the Anthropocene
Which way?
 KEY CONCEPT: Planning

•The process through which

governments, residents and
businesses come together
to shape their communities
Urban futures in the
Anthropocene
Thinking about climate change
and the Anthropocene evokes
some image of, and relation to,
the future
Cities feature in scientific,
political, cultural imagination of
a climate-changed world
City as both the cause of, and
solution to, the climate crisis
Cities as part
of the problem
Cities as part of the solution

https://youtu.be/_NWCpQ40tR4
https://www.c40.org/ending-climate-change-begins-in-the-city
Cities as part Cities as part
of the climate of the climate
problem solution
Cities as part of the climate problem?
In 2010, more than half of the world’s population
lived in cities
By 2030, almost 5 billion of the world’s 8.3 billion
people will live in cities
Cities have historically developed in locations that
may be vulnerable to change, including in coastal
areas and on rivers
Rapid urbanization is creating significant urban
challenges that will be exacerbated by climate
change
Cities represent concentrations of economic and
social activities that produce GHG emissions
Cities and towns produce over 70% of
global energy-related CO2 emissions
By 2030, over 80% of the increase in global annual
energy demand above 2006 levels will come from
cities in non-OECD countries
Cities as part of the climate solution?
Municipal authorities have responsibility for many
processes that shape urban vulnerability and affect
GHG emissions at the local level
Municipalities have a democratic mandate from
local populations to address issues that affect the
city
Municipalities have a history of addressing issues of
sustainable climate development
Municipalities can act as a ‘laboratory’ for testing
innovative approaches
Municipal authorities can act in partnership with
private and civil society sectors
Cities represent high concentrations of private-
sector actors with growing commitment to act on
climate change
Cities provide arenas within which civil
society is mobilizing to address climate change
(Bulkeley 2013 adapted from UN Habitat 2011)
Learning outcomes: summary
1. Our planet is increasingly urbanised, and urbanisation
can be explored from multiple perspectives
2. The Anthropocene represents a new geological era and
cities will play a key role in shaping planetary futures
3. Cities can be seen as both part of the problem and part
of the solution in the context of global environmental
change