Urban Nature Street Rights
Charting social microcosms, earthworm kingdoms, nature states and botanical power structures down the street.
By foot, wing, water and wind, there has been a great migration from the urban surround into the urban core. Leaving their deserted fields behind, birds, insects, plants, earthworms, and microbes have taken refuge in the city’s diverse niches. Now, pedestrians, bikers, drivers, tourists–and also trees, wild rabbits, birds, bats and worms–claim their right to the street: the public space is a common ground with actors of many species. How does urban architecture affect the behaviours of all these diverse citizens? Who can access public resources? Who owns street air rights? What are nature’s rights and is there a people’s right to urban nature? How do we imagine an interspecies commons?
In this workshop we survey and map the interests of different members of the street community and how they relate to each other. Guided by the analyses of pollen polls, area colour codes and other observations, we imagine how street rights could be remapped and turned into a Declaration of Urban Nature Rights.
With:
Mira Thomsen + Ruttikorn Vuttikorn
At:
Prinzessinnengarten Berlin / Long Day of Urban Nature
Facilitated by Public Art Lab Berlin
Year:
2014
