The Postmodern City as a Sink for Matter and Energy: The Biosphere's Black Hole

Abstract

The relationship between city and countryside has changed with cultural evolution, though elements of stratification remain the most evident marker of the rural sector. With the implementation of landfills as a waste-management strategy, the postmodern city has become established as a sink for matter and energy, since landfills abruptly sever the biogeochemical cycles ultimately responsible for maintaining the sustainability of the biosphere. This calls for a discussion of the relevant aspects of the city-countryside relationship and the ecological consequences that follow, in search of solutions that improve this relationship through better land use.