“Living differently after COVID-19: towards a new city model” – a project in progress

The project “Living differently after COVID-19” was born from a reflection on the forced confinement by COVID-19 when our apartments became too small to contain all the functions, our neighbourhoods too compact, the supply too dangerous. The situation brought us back to the basics: our connection to the space around us (to our habitat, our neighbourhood, nature); our connection to agriculture (basic needs); our dependency of  energy (water, electricity, gas); our social ties (our social activities online or, in a more direct way, to our neighbours).

Our research led to the demonstration of the city as a morphogenetic (deployment of urban, socio-cultural and symbolic forms) and semiogenetic (reinvestment of its forms) process. Living together implies legislating (to know how to act together), naming (to guarantee that the laws help us to undertake together), and producing (the articulation between legislating and naming guarantee that the production processes are done without worry). In other words, we can say that legislating, naming and producing are the three pillars of all urbanity.

The urban movement that is taking shape in this new context is pushing us to look at the world differently, to live differently. Suddenly, we were called to act and mindfully protect each other. The importance of interconnectivity in our lives was praised and all of us appreciated more of each other. This movement is based on community living, on respect for ourselves and others, nature and the environment. It starts from a new philosophy, involved in the circular economy, without refusing other forms of economic organisation.

This emergent movement translates in a different approach to our way of life, the way we connect with others, with our living spaces, the way we use our resources, how we consume inconsequently. It calls our attention to the meanings of balance with nature, of respect for the environment, of reducing the impact. Our impact, on everything. By living differently.

(Isabel Marcos)

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Website: https://www.isabelmarcos.net/projects

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2020

AUTORES

Isabel Marcos