More-than-human Planning with Jonathan Metzger

In this episode, we explore the topic of more-than-human planning with Jonathan Metzger, Professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Jonathan is a truly transdisciplinary scholar, connecting Planning Studies, Human Geography, STS (Science- and Technology Studies) and Organizational Studies. He studies various angles of decision-making concerning complex environmental issues – generally with a focus on urban and regional planning, policy and politics. More than for these reasons, though, we invited him for the podcast because he is one of the few “planners” we are aware of, who has actively sought to connect more-than-human perspectives with planning decision making. He has published, for example, about planning’s relationship with Moose, and with Mosquitoes (together with Jean Hillier).

In this episode, Jonathan gives us examples as well as triggers more abstract thinking about how no planning process (or any process) is neutral or equally “postive” in terms of affecting or benefiting various groups - be they human or more-than-human. Choices are made, and losses experienced, but too frequently there is not even any awareness of much of that. And this is something that can change, and might be an important step towards creating a different discussion also among and between those who are able to speak up in defense of themselves and other species.

Take-aways for planners, by Jonathan Metzger:

* Avoid common pitfalls by better connecting the existing theory and practice on more-than-human planning! Check out the wealth of what is already out there, and bring it together.

References from the episode:

Metzger, J. (2014). The moose are protesting: the more-than-human politics of transport infrastructure development. In Planning against the Political (pp. 191-213). Routledge.

Metzger, J. (2019). A more-than-human approach to environmental planning. In The Routledge companion to environmental planning (pp. 190-199). Routledge.

Hillier, J., & Metzger, J. (2021). Towns within Towns: From Incompossibility to Inclusive Disjunction in Urban Spatial Planning. Deleuze and Guattari Studies, 15(1), 40–64. https://doi.org/10.3366/dlgs.2021.0428

Metzger, J. (2023). The Cosmopolitics of Urban Planning in a More-than-Human World. In The Routledge International Handbook of More-than-Human Studies (pp. 348-358). Routledge.

Other authors mentioned in the episode, with links to their work:

Noel Castree

Sarah Whatmore

Donna Haraway

Patsy Healey

Isabelle Stengers

Robin Wall-Kimmerer

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Heather Campbell

Claire Coldbrook

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