Which claim best reflects a more-than-human urban geography?

• A. Urban environments are hybrid socio-ecological systems influenced by humans and non-humans.
• B. Cities are solely the product of human economic planning.
• C. Non-human processes play no role in shaping urban spaces.
• D. Urban environments are static and predictable.

Answer: (A)

More-than-human urban geography shows that cities emerge from the entanglement of human and non-human actors. Urban spaces are not just designed by people; they are shaped by a web of influences—weather, soils, water, plants, animals, microbes, and technological systems—that continually interact with human decisions and practices. This perspective treats the city as a hybrid socio-ecological system where agency and change come from both humans and non-humans alike, and where infrastructure, ecosystems, and social life co-create urban spaces over time. That’s why the statement that best reflects this view is the one that emphasizes both human and non-human influences in shaping cities. In contrast, views that assign cities solely to human planning, deny non-human roles, or describe urban environments as static and predictable miss this interconnected, evolving reality.