Title: Progress and 'Acts of God' in the age of climate change virility

Authors: Carlos J.L. Balsas

Addresses: Department of Geography and Planning, AS 210, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, 518.442.4469, USA

Abstract: Notions of progress have changed over the last two centuries; however, attempts at improving living conditions have remained. Since there has been a change toward more urban living, notions of progress have changed from the collective to the individual. What are the implications of various notions of progress, especially when they are at odds with foundational collective articulations of the common good? The purpose of this article is to analyse the evolution of notions of progress and to discuss their most recent iterations in contexts of the Anthropocene. It is hypothesised that progress in the Anthropocene has generated a double awareness of plenty and scarcity. The argument is that planning professionals are severely burdened by their background, moral and ethical responsibility to think and lead collective transformations, which go beyond self. The key finding includes the identification of implications for professional planning practice.

Keywords: anthropocene; automobility; climate change; ecological footprint; epistemology; planning practice; plenty; progress; scarcity; transportation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2019.102290

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2019 Vol.18 No.2, pp.107 - 125

Received: 26 Apr 2018
Accepted: 11 Nov 2018
Published online: 16 Sep 2019 *

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