This book stands out as a landmark contribution to the reimagining of European urban futures. The authors, Eugenia Bitsani, Theodoros Tsekos, Isidora Thymi, and Georgia Marava, demonstrate a profound commitment to rethinking cities as living cultural ecologies. They move beyond technocratic and neoliberal paradigms, placing culture at the heart of sustainable urban development. Their work is both visionary and grounded, offering a robust theoretical framework and an in-depth empirical case study of the municipality of Ixelles, which is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels Capital Region in Belgium. The book’s originality lies in its interdisciplinary biocultural approach, which integrates ecological, social, and cultural dimensions into a unified model for urban sustainability. The authors argue that culture is the foundational axis for resilience, social justice, and collective meaning-making. This paradigm shift is operationalised through participatory governance, community engagement, and recognition of cities as dynamic ecosystems shaped by relationships, practices, and identities.
The authors’ Mediterranean perspective enriches their analysis, highlighting the importance of coexistence, reciprocity, and everyday rituals in shaping urban life. This ethos is evident in their study of Ixelles, where diverse communities, vibrant public spaces, and cultural plurality are treated as assets for building a more inclusive and sustainable city.
A major strength of the book is its comprehensive exploration of the evolution of utopian and dystopian thought in urban theory. The authors trace the lineage from Plato’s ideal city and Thomas More’s Utopia, through Enlightenment and socialist visions, to the dystopian critiques of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The authors skilfully weave in the spatial philosophies of Foucault (heterotopias) and Lefebvre (the production of space), showing how cities are both sites of aspiration and arenas of exclusion, control, and resistance.
This theoretical depth is used to critically interrogate contemporary urban models, such as the Smart City, Green City, and Creative City. This study reveals the entanglement of the models with narratives of neoliberal governance and biopolitical regulation. The authors argue that true urban transformation requires moving beyond market-driven solutions to embrace participatory, culturally grounded, and ecologically just approaches.
The case study of Ixelles is a highlight of the book, offering a rich, multidimensional analysis of how biocultural principles can be put into practice. The authors map the municipality’s strengths and challenges using a mixed-methods research design that includes digital content analysis, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews, as outlined below under strengths, gaps & risks, and opportunities.
1. Strengths:
- Vibrant cultural life with over 100 venues and 200+ events monthly.
- Strong environmental initiatives (green spaces, climate action, sustainable mobility).
- Multiculturalism and visible migrant communities, especially in neighbourhoods like Matongé.
- Participatory governance and digital infrastructure supporting communication and engagement.
2. Gaps and Risks:
- Spatial inequalities in safety, infrastructure, and access to green spaces.
- Limited substantive participation for marginalised groups, with institutional inclusion often remaining symbolic.
- Risks of green gentrification and exclusion if ecological improvements are not paired with social justice.
3. Opportunities:
- Deepening integration of cultural, ecological, and social policies.
- Expanding participatory mechanisms and intercultural education.
- Using culture as a vehicle for empowerment, resilience, and urban regeneration.
The authors’ analysis of Ixelles is both critical and constructive, offering actionable recommendations such as establishing neighbourhood cultural hubs, participatory workshops, and annual environmental–cultural festivals. Their triangulated methodology ensures that policy proposals are grounded in empirical evidence and lived experience.
While the book excels in its commitment to rethinking urban futures and offers a rich analysis of biocultural approaches, it would benefit from a more explicit working definition of what constitutes a "European City." Beyond the administrative or geographic fact of being within the European Union, the book does not fully address the deeper relationships, meanings, practices, and identities that characterise European cities, even though these elements form the theoretical foundation of the paradigm shift the authors advocate in this book.
A clearer articulation of elements such as shared histories, governance models, cultural practices, and urban forms would help distinguish what makes European cities unique or similar to those elsewhere. This exercise could also provide a valuable framework for comparing best practices and learning from urban experiences elsewhere, thereby enriching the book’s comparative and practical relevance. Incorporating this perspective would strengthen the book’s analytical foundation and broaden its appeal to readers interested in global urbanism.
In conclusion, The Biocultural City as a Utopia or the Future Reality? is a model of interdisciplinary scholarship and engaged urban research. It offers a compelling vision of cities as living, adaptive ecologies, in which culture, nature, and governance are inseparable. The book’s commitment to participatory, inclusive, and culturally vibrant urbanism is both timely and necessary, providing a roadmap for policymakers, scholars, and citizens seeking to build more just and resilient cities.
The focus on Ixelles shows how biocultural principles can be put into practice, while the in-depth study of utopian and dystopian theories situates this work within a rich intellectual tradition. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of European cities and the possibilities of urban transformation within the European Union.
* Dr Andrea Nanetti is a Distinguished Full Professor in Digital Humanities at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, China, an Academician of the Ambrosiana Academy (AA) in Milan and a Full Fellow of the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti -IVLA Academy, in Venice.
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