Humannature: future

spatial narratives in the

global south.

Andres Barrios/ Bauhaus Universität Weimar

Humannature: a term that conveys the way hu-
mans and nature have set sort of a relationship
overtime. Being coined by academic Andrei Al-
exandrovich Grigoryev circa 1986 in his publi-
cation ¨Historical lessons of humannature rela-
tions (According to aerospace research)¨
Spatial Narrative: a term derived from the un-
derstanding of space as a ´Social product; thus
configuring itself as an image and a tool,a prod-
uct and a process.

Lately, through this evolution, alternative-

ly linked to the concept of ´Deleuzian as-
semblage´ (Lefebvre,1990), (Graham,1998),
(Healey,2003),(DeLanda,2006)
Global South: a term that rather conveys the
´transient´behavior of poverty, as opposed to
terms such as únderdeveloped regions´, ´third
world countries´.

¨The geography of the Global South should

be more readily understood as economic and
migratory, the world understood through the
“wider context of globalization or global capi-
talism ¨ (Global South Studies Center Cologne,
2016)
context
Habitat III concedes specific importance to the
acknowledgement of the ecological function of
land; taking into account that such a structural
quality sets, in turn, the layout of human settle-
ments
As stated by the new urban agenda, the global
urban population will hit the 70% mark in the
coming years.¨
Questions derived
to what extent such an urban population will
be ready to claim its role as stakeholder in re-
gards to the implementation of the 2030 sus-
tainable development agenda? ¨
On the other hand, what is the role that the
prospective rural population will assume when
it comes to deliver the products demanded by
the same agenda?
most importantly, what is the role that the
[young] spatial planning specialists will play
all over such scenarios?
Working hypothesis
Current capital-based relationships set by hu-
mankind over nature do not account for the
implementation of governance, neither to-
wards ensuring a sustainable livelihood.
Such an account makes part and parcel of pub-
lications dealing with environmental and eco-
nomic development subjects from a critical per-
spective; those making part now of the very core
of the New urban Agenda: the Brundtland report
(United Nations Organization, 1984) and most
recently by Vivian Stern’s report in regards to the
economics of climate change (Stern, 2010).
Related topics to develop
education-wise attending
the new urban agenda
- Cross-disciplinary, ground-breaking theoreti-
cal knowledge.

- Alternative methodological approaches to-

wards research problem assesing

- Participation in the structuration of new sets

of spatial narratives that would influence and,
in turn, strengthen local and regional human
settlements’ governance.
special attention should be paid to the ac-
knowledgement of the possible relationships
that are still to be set by humankind consider-
ing the natural (and not-natural) milieu and
the environment in general.
Existing body of knowl-
edge suggested
In the current context of production, having the
concept ‘nature’ objective characteristics, con-
versely to those of the human being - which in
turn are subjective; subjectivity overcomes its
limitations only as stored-up labor is unlocked
from nature;

therefore “…capital is an eternal relation of na-

ture.”
Marx,K. (1973) Grundrisse. Penguin.
Moreover, after Paul Crutzen´s introduction of
the Anthropocene phenomenon, a series of au-
thors have started the discussion over how to
face such a reality, as the old believe that nature
(and the planet, consequently) could balance
itself independently from human behaviour
proves useless and out of date.

Wark. (2015) “Molecular Red: Theory for the An-

thropocene”.
As such a reality unravels,should be of interest
exploring the sets of relationships that occur
among sets of actors (namely humans, animals
and cyborgs) under simultaneous set of spaces.

Haraway. (1992) “The Promises of Monsters: a

regenerative politics for Inappropiate/d others”.
In an ecological context, these sort of relation-
ships were previoulsy of interest for Maurice
Merleau-Ponty, whose work has been recently
taken into account for the development of in-
nvative sets of thought coined under ¨ Ecophe-
nomenology¨

Toadvine and Brown. (2003). Ecophenomenolo-

gy: Back to the Earth itself.
Looking towards 2036.
Development and strengthening of social, envi-
ronmental and technological governance.
Thus empowering communities for the sustain-
able management of local resources, aiming
at food security, gender equality, sustainable
means of production, water and terrestrial life
maintenance and sustainable energy produc-
tion.
Most importantly:

Bring UTOPIA Back!

 Many thanks!
andbarrios@gmail.com

Andres Barrios/ Bauhaus Universität Weimar