Gabriel Pol
Naturehood(s)
How might Naturehood function within complete and connected neighbourhoods, and what might hinder this happening?
What is the nature of naturehood(s) and what does this mean? A focused discussion on naturehood (natureculture) within complete and connected neighbourhoods, extolling the virtues, benefits, and successes of local (bottom up) participatory methods and approaches towards green space. Explored through the lens of cosmopolitan localism (naturenature).
The target audience are designers, researchers, and practitioners. The various stakeholders involved including community people and organisations, local councils, national government, research institutions, activists, nature organisations and biodiversity itself. The research combines a literature review, with participatory research, observations (listening’s), all within the realms of design for social innovation, focusing on approaches such as transition design.
Discussions around complete and connected neighbourhoods come from design thinkers such as Ezio Manzini, and the practical approaches outlined by organisations such as the Town and Country Planning Association. Thoughts on natureculture come from Donna Haraway and those focusing on arts of living on a damaged planet. Up-to-date thinking on what constitutes ‘good’ quality naturalistic green space relates to the research and practice of Ken Thompson and Nigel Dunnett at Sheffield University, amongst others. This is very much a theoretical study that attempts to identify areas for future research and study.
How might Naturehood function within complete and connected neighbourhoods, and what might hinder this happening?
A common feature of my work are the integration of design fictions and stories to set the scene. In this case, we start with a poem.
