Urbanization as taxidermy: “Man”hattanization of Mannahatta

PurposeThis article unveils the similarities of today's space production systems with taxidermy. Giving examples from the transformation of natural environment during the history of Mannahatta (Manhattan), the article discusses the process of metamorphosis of habitats and ecosystems to anthropo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ArchNet-IJAR 2021-06, Vol.15 (2), p.434-446
Main Author: Sadri, Hossein
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Architecture
Collaboration
Cooperation
Culture
Habitats
Organisms
Urbanization
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:PurposeThis article unveils the similarities of today's space production systems with taxidermy. Giving examples from the transformation of natural environment during the history of Mannahatta (Manhattan), the article discusses the process of metamorphosis of habitats and ecosystems to anthropocentric artificial objects.Design/methodology/approachReferencing Lefebvre, urbanization is conceptualized as the production of abstract space that ultimately stifles life; by analogy, space taxidermy.FindingsUsing the analogy of taxidermy and abstract space production processes, the article introduces the necessity and the principles of restoring natural habitats.Originality/valueRe-writing the urban and architectural history of Manhattan by focusing on four different scenes from its life-span, the article introduces a novel; a new narrative of the history of the city from the perspective of human-nature relations and the various ways habitats were shaped on this island during history.
ISSN:1938-7806
1938-7806
DOI:10.1108/ARCH-01-2020-0006