The traditional Left triumphed human self-consciousness and fought hard to remove clerical powers, archaic traditions, and irrationality from social affairs. This seem forgotten by the Left of today. To maintain a socially progressive stance, however, the Left must retain some basic values of the enlightenment.

How can we face the urban future? How can we remake our cities? How can we recreate a balance between town and country? In this brief comment, Janet Biehl presents the vision of a participatory, urban future where people, as active citizens can manage themselves through face-to-face democracy.

Global warming has made many environmentalists believe that democracy is too slow and complicated to solve the climate crisis. Some argue that what we need is wartime mobilization and a strong global leadership with excessive powers. This belief is deeply flawed and dangerous.