Urban Political Ecology: current trends in a growing epistemic field

Intention

During this seminar, we will explore current research trends in the epistemic field known as Urban Political Ecology (UPE). UPE offers “an integrated and relational approach that helps untangle the interconnected economic, political, social and ecological processes that together go to form highly uneven urban landscapes” (Swyngedouw & Heynen, 2003).

The first morning will be dedicated to keynotes designed to provide a theoretical overview of the field, from its Marxist roots to more recent post-structuralist, Foucauldian, situated, feminist and embodied developments. Further, the geographies of knowledge production within the field will be introduced.

The first afternoon will have the format of a “flipped classroom”. Building on readings of UPE publications, the participants will be given the opportunity to discuss current research trends in the Urban Political Ecologies of water.

In the evening, Prof. Yaffa Truelove will deliver a public lecture, provisionally entitled “In-between People & Infrastructure: a Feminist Political Ecology of Water in Delhi”. This will be followed by a social gathering.

The second day will be dedicated to a field visit of Lausanne’s wastewater treatment infrastructure, followed by a methodological workshop focusing on inter-disciplinarity in UPE, that is, how the field can productively bring together insights from ecological and social sciences.
 

Organizers

Prof. René Véron, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability
Dr. Jérémie Sanchez, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability
 

Registration is free but mandatory. The closing date is March 14.
Kindly use this form to register: https://forms.gle/qt9J4hrgeE6QrNii8
Financial support is available to CUSO/IGS students.

For further information, please contact jeremie.sanchez@unil.ch