EcoCultureLab held its first Ecotopia Burlington gathering in May (more on that soon, including pictures) in part to envision what we’d like to have in a post-carbon Burlington. But is a post-carbon city even possible?
Writing in Current Affairs, Samuel Miller McDonald argues that decarbonizing our cities — and making them both more equitable and more beautiful — is possible. McDonald interviews a range of urban theorists and practitioners and provides examples from around the world to glean some ideas of what a “libertarian ecosocialist” city could look like.
He notes, for instance, that
If you remove cars, you suddenly have a lot more space for people, and can begin filling that space with the objects and activities that people enjoy.
and that
By disrupting standard models of housing—partly by incorporating food and energy production, such as gardens and solar panels—it’s possible to increase social bonds, give people more control over their space, and build carbon-free, equitable, climate-resilient housing.
How does your vision stack up against Miller’s?