City after the City. the Counterurbanization As an Emanation of Megalopolis (Session 1)

This session examines contemporary processes by which the city extends beyond its traditional boundaries and spreads into remote territories, driven by the outward migration of citizens. This expansion results in the emergence and dissemination of post-agrarian practices and structures in formerly agricultural areas that have lost their economic significance. Land desertification and the depopulation of rural settlements are being replaced by new forms of urban technology, communications, and urban culture. In this context, a symbiosis arises between the city’s best achievements and the significant advantages of rural areas, such as ecology, landscapes, and the economic freedom of citizens’ self-determination. The declining agrarian economy is being replaced by online employment for migrant citizens, forms of recreation and health restoration, various types of tourism and sports, health facilities, environmental conservation activities, and museumification of historical memory. The result is an exchange of agricultural economic capital for socio-cultural capital. The megalopolis is freed from its territorial isolation, leading to numerous internal contradictions, and finds its second life.