For most of history humans have dominated animals. New research even confirms humans drove many predators to extinction.

Humans didn’t stop there, they domesticated animals, they forced animals to work for us while we eat them. It’s a complete history of domination.

But a funny thing is happening. We’re allowing animals to reshape our world so they can be accommodated.

I call this the Quiet Revenge of Animals. 

Animals are influencing our society, our behavior, our architecture, our land use and our city designs in a purposeful way.

Rural areas are changing too. Humans are reintroducing extinct species, and as populations decline or move, animals are reclaiming these lands. Take a look at this TikTok about rewilding.

America As Pet Nation

Pets have always been a part of American life. That’s nothing new. They’ve hovered around 50 percent for decades. However, in the last few years, pet ownership has accelerated to over 70 percent. Covid pushed this trend upward, but it looks like it is remaining stable and is going to keep growing.

70 percent of the population is a lot. This is enough for huge changes in behavior and society has to adapt.

It perfectly aligns with other trends happening. We now have people calling themselves Dog Moms, or Cat dads

With more people owning pets, our behavior shifted. Twenty-five years ago, actions that would get you mocked are now entirely normal. Mention "dog stroller" to someone in 2005, and people would think you're telling a joke. But now, dog strollers are everywhere, available in most stores.

Take for example dogs on airplanes. They used to be a topic for stand-up comedians. Now airports come with pet bathrooms

Pets Are Fun

It’s no surprise. Pets are a lot of fun. Interacting with animals not only decreases stress levels and blood pressure, increase feelings of social support, and generally improve mood. Pets are Lindy. We have memorials to pets from Roman times.

But what is not Lindy is that they are shaping our world in ways they never did before.

In This Newsletter

1) Pets Are Changing Our Architecture and How We Design Cities: Pets are driving innovations in architecture and city planning to accommodate their needs and presence.

2) Pets Are Becoming Substitutes For Friends and Children: The lines blur as people increasingly rely on their animals for companionship. Instead of meeting up for drinks or dinner, they’re spending evenings walking their dogs or cuddling with their cats. Correlation isn’t causation, but pet ownership rates go up and the amount of children people have goes down.

3) The Future of Reintroducing Wild Animals in Empty Land: For the first time humans are bringing back the old animals they killed off. Bison, deer, wolves, bears, wild horses. Future generations may drive across America and Europe and it will resemble a pre-historic environment of few humans but lots of animals.

4) The Istanbul Model: The Istanbul model offers a compelling vision for urban living, where cities embrace the concept of community animals. In Istanbul, stray dogs and cats roam freely, yet they aren't considered nuisances. Instead, they are integral members of the urban ecosystem, cared for by the community. Residents feed them, businesses provide shelter, and local governments ensure they receive medical care.

Pets Are Changing Our Architecture and Cities

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