What it is
Edited by Christoph Rupprecht, this solarpunk fiction anthology centers stories of urban coexistence between humans and other species. Contributors imagine cities designed for multispecies flourishing: buildings that serve as habitats, transportation systems that accommodate wildlife corridors, food systems integrated with urban ecosystems, and governance structures that account for non-human needs. Published in 2021, the collection bridges speculative fiction with real urban ecology research.
Why we picked this
Most urban design fiction imagines cities for humans only. Multispecies Cities asks: what if we designed cities for all the beings that live in them? The stories are grounded in real ecology and urban biology, making them more than pure imagination. Each story is followed by a brief essay connecting the fiction to current research in urban ecology, making the book a unique hybrid of speculative fiction and science communication.
Key takeaways
- Each story is paired with a non-fiction essay connecting the speculative scenario to real urban ecology research, bridging fiction and science.
- The anthology draws on emerging research showing that biodiverse cities are healthier, more resilient, and more economically productive than monoculture urban environments.
- Multispecies urban design concepts from the book (wildlife bridges, building-integrated habitats, edible urban forests) are already being implemented in cities like Singapore, Melbourne, and Copenhagen.