In an era of increasing geo-political uncertainty – and climate emergency - there is a retreat within the comfort of borders; globalism’s golden age is waning. With the birth of the ‘polycrisis’, nations are dealing with multiple and compounding issues. In this context, energy, material and food sovereignty are urgent governmental priorities. Given this, the model of autonomous ‘city states’ championed in pre-renaissance Italy seems like a pertinent case study to explore and interpret the challenges of our age. Siena’s idealised model is pictorialised in Lorenzetti’s ‘Allegory of Good and Bad Government’. This fresco – a manifesto of sorts - adorns the interior of the Palazzo Pubblico in the heart of Siena.

It depicts a symbiotic relationship between the urban and rural, and encourages us to recalibrate the length of our reach, celebrate the near to hand, be discerning in the choices that we make, and extol rather than exploit the interconnectedness of our surroundings. It celebrates the ideal city as a compact, diverse and playful environment. Cork City’s urban framework operates a similar model, a live laboratory for exploring these themes.