The world as one household

We find ourselves at the beginning of our new century encumbered by a built environment that ties us to an oil-drunk, individuated lifestyle, hyper-separated from earth others and earth processes. Can we belong in this habitat in new ways? What kinds of built environment might support more balance between different forms of wok and household, as well as planetary, surviving well? What might Hannes Meyer's adage 'necessities, not luxuries' mean today? Moreover, what implications are there for the rapid growth of urbanisation in non-OECD countries" where in general the average ecological footprint of households is at the moment far below that of us in the OECD, but where urbanisation pathways are still following the high-energy, high-consumption model of the west? The spatiality of production, consumption, reproduction and exchange is potentially up for grabs as new technologies, old ideas and the vital capacities of human and non-human agents combine in experiments with living in a different mode. I have outlined some steps we might take towards remaking our diverse habitats by taking back the economy for people and the planet. To summarise: First, differentiate and inventory: become sensitive to diversity; Second, reframe in terms of ethical concerns: become sensitive to ethical interconnections; Third, place human-human interactions and human-non-human interactions alongside each other: explore our responsibility to each other, future others, 'earth others'; Fourth, isolate the place of ethical decision and decide on action.