ABSTRACT

Urban Pastoralism is a way of introducing grazing animals into the urban environment. Grazing animals have been moulding societies since the Neolithic period. Only after the industrial revolution, they have been pushed out of the landscape by urban environments. This essay looks at how is Urban Pastoralism successful in re-introducing the sheep into an urban landscape. Specifically the landscape of the Pyrenees which used to be of highly pastoral use. With the examples set in major cityscapes. It briefly describes the history of different pastoral landscapes and their influence on societies. Then, it looks at two particular examples of urban pastoralism in the Pyrenees. Firstly, the Clinamen Collective Paris, which uses sheep for monthly urban greenery management in the outskirts of Paris. Secondly, Fiesta de la Trashumancia a festival in Madrid with the context of the transhumant history of the area. The essay highlights the systemic and historical disconnect between the grazing x landscape process and the human as well as briefly touching on the romanticised nature of pastoral history. A conclusion based on the dissection of said examples, the sheep is framed as a tool of occupation and technology for urban greening and eco-politics.

Key-words: Pastoralism, Urban Pastoralism, grazing animals, cohabitation