Anthropocene dwelling: Lessons from post‐disaster Christchurch

Abstract

This article takes circumstances of post-quake Christchurch as an analogue for Anthropocene emergency. I argue that Christchurch events are more than a reminder of the Earth's geologic volatility; for the Anthropocene-as-disaster, it is a prompt to contemplate what it is to dwell on unstable ground. Urban locations-towns, cities, mega-cities-are all rendered vulnerable on the surface of an unruly planet, offering no absolute refuge from planetary fluctuations. Such unsettling is deeply felt, physically and psychologically, resulting in homelessness both literal and figurative. Ensuing analysis offers insight into potential strategies for unsettled planetary dwelling to come.