'74PODCAST

URBAN NATURE – Episode 12: Geoffrey West and Gabriel Kozlowski

In this episode of Urban Nature, physicist Geoffrey West discusses the universal scaling laws that govern organisms, cities, and economies. Drawing from his book Scale, West explains how cities function as networked systems analogous to living organisms, exhibiting predictable patterns of growth, efficiency, and innovation. The conversation explores the implications of these laws for urbanization, sustainability, and the future of the planet, arguing that cities—rather than humanity alone—are the central drivers of the current “Urbanocene.”

URBAN NATURE - Episode 11: Sunita Narain and Gabriel Kozlowski

In this episode of Urban Nature, Sunita Narain explores the concept of “environmentalism of the poor”, contrasting it with the technocratic, middle-class environmentalism that often externalizes costs and creates new problems while trying to solve old ones. She emphasizes equity, local knowledge, and practical solutions that consider both human needs and environmental sustainability. Narain critiques conventional approaches to climate change, urban planning, and renewable energy, highlighting the resistance of professional orthodoxies to innovative ideas. She underscores that inclusive development is synonymous with sustainable development, and stresses the need for courage, imagination, and hope in addressing global environmental crises.

URBAN NATURE - Episode 10: Sheila Jasanoff and Gabriel Kozlowski

In this episode of Urban Nature, Sheila Jasanoff delves into the intricate relationship between science, society, and the natural world. She challenges the conventional view that science merely mirrors nature, arguing instead that scientific knowledge is shaped by human mediation, representation, and power dynamics. Through an exploration of how societal choices influence scientific practices and technological developments, Jasanoff urges a deeper examination of how science interacts not only with nature but also with the fabric of social order.

URBAN NATURE - Episode 9: Steward Pickett and Gabriel Kozlowski

In this episode of Urban Nature, Steward Pickett explores the dynamic relationship between cities and natural ecosystems, challenging the notion that urban environments are separate from nature. He argues that viewing cities as part of natural systems reveals the deep interconnections between human and ecological processes, urging for a more holistic approach to urban planning that integrates these complexities.

URBAN NATURE - Episode 8: Eduardo Góes Neves and Gabriel Kozlowski

In this episode of Urban Nature, Eduardo Góes Neves and Gabriel Kozlowski discuss how archaeology can be a means to understand change in human–natural systems over long timescales. Neves elaborates on the connection between ancient Amazonian societies with large-scale transformations of the natural environment. He emphasizes that what see as pristine forests are, most of the times, anthropic landscapes and, therefore, new attention should be given to the historical human factor in forest settings, which has the power to offer us alternatives models for the development of tropical societies.