Justin Hollander, a professor of urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts University, discussed on May 21 how the television series “For All Mankind” relates to real-world efforts to settle Mars. The show, now in its fifth season, imagines an alternate history where the space race never ended and humans have established a settlement on Mars.
The topic is timely as interest in Martian colonization grows. NASA has announced plans for a moon base and missions to Mars, while private companies like SpaceX predict large-scale human settlements on the planet. Hollander said that despite this attention, “missing from the fictional and nonfictional plans to colonize another planet…is input from people critical to designing a successful settlement: urban planners.”
Hollander began studying how cities might be built on Mars after noticing that early discussions about settling the planet did not reflect what is taught in urban planning programs. He published “The First City on Mars: An Urban Planner’s Guide to Settling the Red Planet” in 2023 and directs the Urban Mars Project at Tufts.
When asked about “For All Mankind,” Hollander said he appreciated some aspects of its depiction of Martian life but noted shortcomings in its design approach. “They showed images of domes and you see a jumble of different structures mashed together. It’s not clear how one relates to the other,” he said. He compared this approach with McMurdo Station in Antarctica—a place that developed over time without much planning.
Hollander also commented on psychological needs for future Martian settlers: “I wrote in my book that the evidence is compelling that people will not make it, everyone will be wiped out, if you can’t pay attention to their psychological needs.” He recommended using materials and colors reminiscent of Earth environments.
Reflecting on why Mars continues to inspire science fiction writers and dreamers alike, Hollander said: “People look up and it’s the brightest, reddest thing in the night sky…I think people are drawn to the possibility of another home.”
As public interest increases around building sustainable communities beyond Earth, experts like Hollander say collaboration between scientists, engineers, architects—and especially urban planners—will be key.
