Hutchison makes University of Cambridge presentation on ‘zoopolitan’ issues

Prof. Ray Hutchison of Urban and Regional Studies is in Cambridge, England, this week, presenting a paper on “Zoopolitan Futures” at the ISAZ 2012 Conference at the University of Cambridge’s Murray Edward College. ISAZ is the International Society for Anthrozoology.

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Hutchison’s presentation took the often-written-about topic of zoopolitan tension — animals in cities — to a new level by discussing the changing nature of animal-human relationships in the ever-expanding suburban areas of megacities around the world. By midcentury, the world’s populaton is expected to increase from 7 to more than 9 billion persons, with most of this growth occurring in suburban areas of the developing world. As humans encroach more and more on natural areas, Hutchison says, there will be increasing challenge to resolving animal-human interaction in the expanding metropolis of the Zoopolitan Future.