What place does nature occupy in Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space? A few thoughts

Abstract

It is of particular note how, over recent decades, the theory of the production of space, drawn up in the 1970s by Henri Lefebvre, has become one of the leading approaches to urban studies. Although his contributions are still applied today in manifold interpretations in both the Global North and South, there are nonetheless a myriad of interrelated themes to Lefebvrian theorization that deserve greater attention. In this paper, I propose to problematize the relationship between the theory of the production of space and ecology under the assumption that within Lefebvre’s theory there is a concept of nature, which is fundamental to understanding the politics of spatial policy and therefore, enables the politicization of nature and ecology to be perceived. The hypothesis I develop in this article is a first approach to the subject of Nature in the works of Lefebvre, seeking to link the threads which connect the discussion on the Theory of the Production of Space, and the conception of nature related to that theory.