ABSTRACT
This essay examines Roman agrarian philosophy and poetry, with a focus on the works of Cato, Varro, and Virgil, to argue that these texts are prescient in their vision of the sustainable city: one in which economic growth is balanced with the environmental needs of urban ecosystems, while also maintaining resource efficiency that minimizes the impact on the climate system. Roy also draws lessons from the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that the pandemic conclusively demonstrates how diseases are connected to interdependent urban and peri-urban ecosystems shared by both humans and animals and making the case for improvements in the global public health infrastructure. Finally, Roy asserts that creating the sustainable city requires changing policy makers’ mindset: that the goal of reducing the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities is imperative for enlightened urban planning. Ultimately, the essay considers policy lessons that can be drawn from Roman agrarian philosophy: the sustainable city is an environmentally resilient habitat that also ensures that future generations can enjoy the same.
