What if we are not getting the bigger picture?
18:30 - 19:00
La Centrale, Nuvola Lavazza
A ‘New Generation Thinker’ exploring the intersections between urban life, health, and social structures.
The City of Today is a Dying Thing is a provocative exploration of urban life explored by Des Fitzgerald in his book.
Challenging the prevailing notion that cities are inherently detrimental to well-being, Fitzgerald delves into the historical and ideological roots of the “green city” movement. He examines how 19th-century urban reforms, such as those by Frederick Law Olmsted, were often motivated by paternalistic desires to civilize the then called working class, rather than genuine concern for public health.
Through a blend of historical analysis, cultural critique, and personal reflection, Des Fitzgerald argues that the idealization of nature in urban planning frequently overlooks the complexities and inequalities inherent in city life.
In the book, he suggests that the push for greener cities may sometimes serve as a distraction from addressing deeper social issues, such as classism and colonialism, that continue to shape urban environments today.
Des Fitzgerald è professore di medical humanities e scienze sociali presso University College Cork. Riconosciuto per il suo approccio interdisciplinare, è stato nominato “New Generation Thinker” dalla BBC e dall’Arts and Humanities Research Council. Il suo lavoro spesso esplora le intersezioni tra vita urbana, salute e strutture sociali.