![]() As opposed to utopias, however, which aim to present society in its purest form-and which, by definition, do not exist-heterotopias are anchored in reality yet are defined by their otherness. ![]() Etymologically, the word is derived from the Greek héteros (other, another, different) and tópos (place) and Foucault defines them as counter-sites: “a kind of effectively enacted utopia in which the real sites, all the other real sites that can be found within the culture, are simultaneously represented, contested, and inverted” (Foucault & Miskowiec, 1986). ![]() Originally coined by French philosopher Michel Foucault, heterotopias are places that do exist, and that critique the core nature of society. Neither a dystopia nor a utopia, heterotopias are something different altogether. The former, however, is a misnomer, as these communities ipso facto cease to be utopian upon leaving the fictional world and entering reality. Utopia is used ubiquitously to describe both actual communities that attempt to create an ideal society and fictional societies portrayed in films, books, or the collective consciousness. First referenced in the socio-political satire Utopia (More, 1516/ 2007), the term describes an ideal place where a community or society possesses a perfect socio-political structure-the notion of perfection obviously being subjective to the author’s personal views and limitations. The word simultaneously means ‘good place’ and ‘no place’, implying that utopias are essentially flawless yet do not exist. On the other end of the spectrum are utopias, a play on the Greek prefix eu (good), the particle ou (no, not) and the root tópos (place). In this way, dystopias encourage us to make active choices about the kind of futures we want, or act as a warning to face the consequences of our inaction-sometime, someplace, in an uncertain future. Most importantly, they act as a conduit to reflect upon, and ultimately shape, society. Places, for example, in which one’s freedom is compromised, or where the environment is no longer able to sustain life. Dystopias are places characterised by human misery. These works of fiction have one thing in common: they are all dystopias, a word created from the Greek prefix dys (bad, difficult) and the root tópos (place). In each instance, a different method for world destruction is portrayed, amplifying and distorting slivers of contemporary realities. Climate apathy, narcissistic leaders, hostile invaders, pandemics. Keywordsįrom the seminal 1805 prose poem Le Dernier Homme by Jean-Baptiste Cousin de Grainville, to contemporary cult classics such as the 2014 post-apocalyptic motion picture Snowpiercer by Bong Joon-ho, creative works about the end of the world are a pop culture staple. ![]() What will the equitable and regenerative city of tomorrow look and feel like? How will it function? And how will it succeed? Through developing an understanding of topias and their symbiotic relationship with humanity, this chapter proposes both a vision and an approach towards designing cities suited to twenty-first-century narratives. From bygone settlements to Arcosanti-an experimental city built on the values of community and environmental accountability-precedents about the alternative are aplenty. Amidst the dysphoria, however, we must remind ourselves that cities always have been places of cultural and social innovation. Needless to say, all of us are also at the mercy of our unsustainable ways of life. But while some are privileged enough to turn a blind eye to the realities of our contemporary world, over a billion are currently living in urban poverty, suffering the consequences of poor housing quality and lack of safe and readily accessible goods and services. The year is now 2021 and more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas.
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