Cultivating Urbanism: Miquel Lacasta's Vision for a Hybrid Discipline

In a recent essay published on the Spanish architecture blog Verdes, architect Miquel Lacasta proposes a radical rethinking of urbanism through the metaphor of cultivation. Lacasta argues that cities should be 'cultivated' rather than constructed, drawing parallels between planting trees and erecting buildings, and between tending crops and managing urban spaces. He suggests that this approach dissolves traditional dichotomies of nature and culture, and challenges conventional hierarchies and boundaries. The essay, titled 'Algunas Notas sobre un Posible Urbanismo Cultivado' (Some Notes on a Possible Cultivated Urbanism), advocates for a hybrid discipline that merges landscape design with urban planning, akin to how biotechnology combines biology and technology. Lacasta envisions a city where buildings, plazas, and streets are treated as living organisms, subject to growth, pruning, and seasonal cycles. This 'cultivated urbanism' would prioritize social interaction, resilience, and ecological balance over static forms and aesthetic outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of temporal and multiscalar strategies, and argues that such an approach can produce more just and empowered urban environments. The essay is a theoretical contribution to contemporary architectural discourse, offering an alternative to top-down, form-driven urban development.