Earth Studio: Landscapes of Repair explores how the global race to decarbonize is driving large-scale landscape transformation and how these shifts intersect with climate adaptation, political economy, and climate justice. A century of cheap, subsidized oil has shaped extractive landscapes and patterns of self-devouring growth, locking in dangerously high emissions (see Petrochemical America, 2012). Today, the energy transition is generating new extractive frontiers—lithium, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, petroleum, and natural gas—rapidly reshaping territories across Latin America and beyond.
The Studio focuses on Brazil and Chile, anchoring inquiry in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago and the broader mineral, infrastructural, and logistical systems that sustain them. While cities increasingly commit to decarbonization and adaptation, they remain deeply entangled with extractive landscapes beyond their boundaries. Lithium extraction in Chile, iron ore and manganese mining in Brazil, ports, refineries, hydroelectric systems, and industrial corridors together form an extended urban–territorial system that supports metropolitan life while concentrating environmental and social costs elsewhere.
Students will examine how supply chains, geopolitics, land rights, labor, finance, and governance shape landscapes of extraction and urbanization. The Studio engages not only with harms, but also with emerging alternatives: community benefit agreements, post-extractive restoration, regulatory frameworks, and spatial approaches to repair. Together, we asked:
- What dynamics emerge as Rio and Santiago pursue decarbonization amid rising mineral demand?
- How are tradeoffs in the energy transition distributed across territories and communities?
- Can urbanization be reimagined to reduce dependence on extractive systems?
- What lessons from fossil fuel extraction can inform more just mineral futures?
- How are adaptation and mitigation intertwined across metropolitan regions and their extended landscapes?
LINKS TO PUBLICATION
LINK TO FULL DOCUMENT (for web viewing)
Atlas Of [Dis]Repair. Studio Sites And Risks. Library Of (Dis)Repair. Emergence Of Form
Intro & Partners. Field Notes & Agents Of Change. Design X Climate Framework.
Spatial Visions.
QUINTERO BAY, A BREAKTHROUGH. Maissa Eid, Georgia Fernandes, Patricio Munoz, Dutt Patel.
AGUA PARA TODOS. Suzanne Alphonse, Tanishka Kelkar, Vaibhav Gurung.
LIVING COAST, BREATHING DUNESCAPE. Jiali Jia, Seunghu Kim, Rajiv Ribeiro, Bimo Wacaksana.
REIMAGINING CONCON ESTUARY. Daisy Castro, Qingyi Gan, Vicky Sindac Gomez, Mutita Ouk.
THE NOGALES VALLEY ALLIANCE. Tanvi Ashok, Anirudh Bopanna Iychettira, Bing Li, Chih Hao Liu.
H.E.A.L QUINTERO. In Hwangbo, Chaeyoon Lee, Yi Lu, Rachana Thokala.
Intro & Partners. Field Notes & Agents Of Change. Roundtable Workshop. Design X Climate Framework.
Spatial Visions.
CONNECTING NITEROI. Diana Cecilia Fernandez-Borunda, Yu Lin (Rachel) Hsu, Yujeong Rhee, Jinxian (Jessie) Yang
WASTE TO VALUE. Tzu-Yu Jason Huang, Bria Miller, Dolyagritt Wonggom, Xinyu Zhang
ECOTONES OF REPAIR. Octave Bourgeois, Yasmina Hamdan, Megan Haralovich, Penny Lee
REDUC REDUX. He Dong, Chunyuan Hu, Wentong Huang, Jahlik Pakes
FROM WRECKS TO WONDERS. Karuni Ayu, Hongxiang Wang, Tianqi Zhao
THE NEW ARCHIPELAGO. Guo Xiu, Yikai Zhang Ziheng Zhou
TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION: CLIMATE & POLICY PROVOCATIONS
REPURPOSE - Less Stranded, More Asset. Carissa O’Donnell
REIMAGINE - Bridging Knowledge & Finance. Amina Diop
REARTICULATE - Labor of Information. Samantha Dady
REINVENT - Petrochemical Transformation. Chesang Rotich
REFRAME - Collaborative Knowledge. Julia Goldsamt
RECIRCULATE - Islands As Circular. Tatianna Sitounis
REPARATE - Profit As A Platform. Jarrod Sims
RECLAIM - Circular Incentives. Anar Amarjargal
RERHYTHM - Rhythmic Governance. Caroline Sacher
RETHINK - Urban Forest Knowledge. Pablo Yanez Mena - Nicole Saidler Bandeira
LINK TO STORYMAP
THE EARTH STUDIO | Landscapes of Repair - Brazil + Chile
PARTNERS
Federal University of Brazil Rio de Janeiro FAU
Universidad Diego Portales FAAD
Santiago Global Center
Rio De Janeiro Global Center
Columbia Global Center, Rio Climate Hub
Mayor's Office, Rio de Janeiro