Overview

Posturban reveals why the future cannot remain urban. Linking climate breakdown, inequality, and democratic erosion to an urban paradigm rooted in a patriarchal, discriminative divide, it calls for a radical shift towards resilient, decentralised, and ecologically rooted ways of living. Through a transdisciplinary critique of urbanisation’s ties to the Promethean foundations of capitalism, consumerism, and technocratic governance, the book shows why urban-centred solutions fail—and what can replace them. It introduces alterRural, Epimethean modernities that restore faith in nature and humanity: frameworks uniting ecological care, community autonomy, and cultural resilience into strategies for systemic change. It demonstrates how reviving peasant values and fostering a plurality of place-based communities can lead towards sustainable, equitable, and life-affirming ways to inhabit Earth. Written for engaged citizens, activists, policymakers, and scholars interested in more equitable and sustainable ways to organise society, Posturban is for anyone ready to challenge the future of cities and explore viable, hopeful alternatives.

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9781041160649

Table of Contents

Reviews

""POSTURBAN takes an important step in reconnecting urban and rural lifeworlds in less exploitative ways. It not only exposes the patriarchal Promethean roots of urban modernity but also proposes alterRurality as a timely framework for thriving decentralised degrowth societies."" Andrea Vetter, transformation researcher, activist and journalist ('The Future is Degrowth') ""POSTURBAN is a wonderful critique of the long-accepted view that urbanisation equates to development, and rurality to underdevelopment. Its counters this position and proposes that a new complex modernity can exist in the rural. An essential perspective for reimagining how we can live today."" Dominic Stevens, architect ""POSTURBAN takes on the urban-centricity of contemporary thinking and argues that the rural still matters. The erudite and wide-ranging discussion finds hope for a more egalitarian society in the persistent rural and will be stimulating reading for anyone interested in our planetary future."" Michael Woods, geographer (author of ‘Rural’)

""POSTURBAN is a wonderful critique of the long-accepted view that urbanisation equates to development, and rurality to underdevelopment. Its counters this position and proposes that a new complex modernity can exist in the rural. An essential perspective for reimagining how we can live today."" Dominic Stevens, architect ""POSTURBAN takes on the urban-centricity of contemporary thinking and argues that the rural still matters. The erudite and wide-ranging discussion finds hope for a more egalitarian society in the persistent rural and will be stimulating reading for anyone interested in our planetary future."" Michael Woods, geographer (author of ‘Rural’) ""POSTURBAN takes an important step in reconnecting urban and rural lifeworlds in less exploitative ways. It not only exposes the patriarchal Promethean roots of urban modernity but also proposes alterRurality as a timely framework for thriving decentralised degrowth societies."" Andrea Vetter, transformation researcher, activist and journalist (The Future is Degrowth)

Author Information

Pieter Versteegh, PhD (ETH Lausanne) in Architecture and Sciences of the City, is an independent scholar exploring how identity is shaped within post-urban modes of dwelling. His work focuses on the mirrors of globalised Western urban society— rurality and the spaces of psychiatric care. He is co-founder of ARENA, the Architectural Research European Network Association, and initiator of its AlterRurality network. He has taught in the fields of architecture and social work.

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