over time, at first slowly and tentatively, and then decisively, cities emerged as one of the great engines transforming the earth. 

 a mutualistic city co-evolves with its environment, actively fostering virtuous feedback loops that avoid waste and depletion, and encourage renewable energy sources, promote biodiversity, clean water and air, and recycling, and create the equitable, trust-building social, economic and political relations that will allow us to respond to myriad challenges of the anthropocene.

from altered earth

ed. julia adeney thomas