GRID + Flow

The conference GRID + Flow : Philadelphia and Beyond, Mapping and Reimagining Urban Ecologies through the Arts and Humanities, has  a programme which clearly demonstrates an understanding of eco-cultural enquiry.

Speakers will address various topics concerning the urban ecology of Philadelphia, including: the use of historical maps to interpret environmental transformation over time; changes in riparian ecology and the development of Fairmount Park; visual representations of aquaculture, zoology, and comparative biology; the impact of rail networks and restaurants on urban life and the built environment; narratives of place in toxic remediation; panoramic navigation and digital information flows; and imagining new flood zone infrastructures in anticipation of rising river levels.

This is an amazing nest of interrelated issues that demonstrates the complexity of culture and ecology with the arts and humanities as key tools for investigation.  The keynote is from Timothy Morton, author of Ecology without Nature.