Lecture by Isabelle Anguelovski

Present forecasts indicate that, in the near future, most of people of the planet will be living in cities. Hence, cities will, perforce, have to lead the change towards a new paradigm that will permit us to deal with the serious problems besetting contemporary societies, among them the ecological footprint, social inequalities, and how to achieve harmonious cohabitation among people. In order to initiate this change of direction, however, it is first of all necessary to understand how cities function as complex organisms, and from a holistic perspective based on sustainability and the wellbeing of their inhabitants. For Isabelle Anguelovski, environmental justice provides an ideal lens for focusing on this aim. As she has confirmed in her research in other continents and cities of the world, imagining the city from another perspective is essential for being able to improve the health of the environment and people, and these are the key conditions for guaranteeing democracy and its ultimate aim: the happiness of citizens.