Urban-Rural Relations as Assemblages: A Conceptual Framework for Urban Food Policies

Abstract

In view of climate change, mass migration and resource scarcity, cities have started to interrogate themselves about the capacity to cope with future catastrophes. It is now clear that the way to cope with them cannot be found without a careful study of urban-rural links. An improved understanding of those interconnections would also contribute to build the pathway towards sustainability. Urban administrations are increasingly aware that life of cities depends strongly on the countryside as well as life of rural areas depends on cities. This new awareness implies a deep revision of the paradigms that so far have guided city administrations. Strategies to build resilient cities will have to envisage a transition to new and more sustainable lifestyles, production models, regulatory patterns and governance arrangements, considering explicitly rural areas as components of the urban life. The present paper develops a reflection on the governance principles, regulating the urban-rural links, that are necessary to address new sustainability challenges. It proposes, focusing especially on the issue concerning the construction of sustainable urban-bioregional food systems, three metaphors that should contribute to a new paradigm: metabolism, circular economy and assemblage.