(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
We should break with our previous practice, indeed our whole thinking – if necessary with the law – now that we have exceeded a development that lies beyond the limits of the planet. Because we are on our way to the first of a series of tipping points that will set in motion such centrifugal forces natureand in climatic conditions, that we completely lose the opportunities to plan the layout of our society.
The message in the IPCC's 6th Assessment Report (AR6, 2023) was just the culmination of a series of testimonies that the development for the inhabitants of the planet is alarming. Several frightening reports have also followed. Perhaps you can say that Limits to Growth from the Club of Rome (Meadows and others) was the big turning point (1972). From here civilization has been on a coalition course.
‘First responder’
The above is the background to Paul Chatterton's book How to save the City – A Guide for Emergency Action. The world is in one preparednesssituation, notes the author. In the social, in the relationship with nature and in relation to climatea. Yes, thousands of localities have followed London's example by taking the lead and declaring to be climate and ecologically prepared, following London's Mayor Sadiq Khan declaring the city in climate preparedness. But how does the author guide the reader in that situation?
Fundamentally, we should each experience ourselves or identify ourselves as the citizen who on his way meets a fellow citizen who has fallen to the ground. In that situation, we are the 'first responder' – the accident victim depends on our help. In a similar way, each of us is also a 'first responder' to the preparedness situation we are in, within the social sphere, in relation to the climate and in relation to nature.
We must find answers that can regenerate nature and that can mitigate the consequences of climate change – in a way that simultaneously deals with urban problems such as poverty, alienation, fragmentation, social isolation, racism, violence, precarious work, business greed and powerlessness. Not an easy task, which will also be met with resistance and actions in the various phases of the task solution. The challenge will be to overcome the powerful interests and create the urgent transformation that is so necessary. In this contingency, drastic measures may become necessary to ensure a safe and secure future for all.
Actors
How changes happen is the basis for the content of the strategy, which in short is «Learn, act and build». New insights about the world are needed if new things are to be learned – in combination with unlearning. And then action must be taken – as a force of resistance with a stance against what has caused all the damage. And alternatives must be established that illustrate the world we want.
Something fundamental changes for us when we realize our role in the emergency. For this purpose, the author has selected nine actor groups, each of which has its own specific tasks: researchers in living laboratories; teachers to the special preparedness situation to support new communities in communities; contractors which shows the way for a new economy in communities; city-makeren as the generalist who can work across the established decision-making bodies and their institutions; social activists who, through their everyday social activities, can harness the broad social influence in ways that involve and engage people to act; the consumer, which connects buying and manufacturing, instills an ethic of care in daily commerce that is increasingly local and socially relevant; the citizen which leads the urban community, bringing the city's green spaces and buildings together for community use to build resilience and sustainability; big business who leverage their power and skills as a force for transformation by a circular and regenerative economy; the non-human where people can reconnect with plants and animals and «re-wild» the city in the face of the alarming extinction of the natural world.
Transformation
The 6 areas where a contingency must be deployed are:
Mobility. Fossil fuels have transformed our societies and created a largely invisible culture called motorism. A systemic approach to the problem seems inevitable, then motoringn can be based on our preparedness.
The economy. The societal business of buying and selling affects all living things. By restructuring the economy from being market-dominated to being based on real needs and managed in a democratic way, socially relevant business must be organized within the planet's borders.
Placemaking. Designers etc. must work on creating an interior of a climate emergency preparedness for our cities so that we avoid greenhouse gases and thereby contribute to restoring a living nature.
Aviation. Here the world community stands without a plan for adjustment. Without such a plan, our common future will be in jeopardy.
Democracy. The role of the municipalities is sandwiched between large interests. There is a need to renew the premises democracy, participation and commitment and to release the power of the community so that we can prepare.
Nature. At great speed we are moving towards the extinction of all non-human life. Since man's ability to survive depends on the survival of other species, the overall challenge is still how we can re-establish our relationship with nature.
