Dr Alessandro Antonello

Cities and Their Coastal Environments: Exploring an Urban Blue Humanities

Although they only take up about three percent of the earth’s surface, cities are now home to the majority of humanity. Many of these cities sit on coasts. Despite the growing understanding of humanity’s impact on the ocean environment, marine environments are still marginal to the study of city histories and cultures. And despite the growing urbanisation of the earth, city histories and cultures have rarely been explored in the interdisciplinary environmental humanities.

The proposed visiting fellowship aims to develop and advance a research project focussed on understanding how urban communities have imagined and interacted with their nearshore marine environments and to explore and develop new directions and concepts for an urban blue humanities. Expected outcomes include publications and further large grant applications. The fellowship will involve engagement with staff and postgraduate students in the Centre for Environmental Humanities at the University of Bristol, including through seminars and workshops.