More-than-human future cities : From the design of nature to designing for and through nature

Pollastri, Serena and Griffiths, Rupert and Dunn, Nick and Cureton, Paul and Boyko, Christopher and Blaney, Adam and De Bezenac, Elisabeth (2021) More-than-human future cities : From the design of nature to designing for and through nature. In: MAB20 : Proceedings of the 5th Media Architecture Biennale Conference. ACM, New York, pp. 23-30. ISBN 9781450390484

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Abstract

This paper examines ways in which media architecture and information design can contribute to multispecies wellbeing and coexistence in urban and peri-urban environments. It argues that a radical shift is needed, from looking at design as a tool to plan tamed nature into urban fabric towards design actions for understanding and working with the unruliness of the natural world in its manifold forms. We present a review of existing literature and an analysis of a selection of projects-in-progress from the CUBIC research group at Lancaster University, UK. In doing so, we aim to propose a new approach for how we think of, and design for, more-than-human future cities. Media architecture is core to this endeavour because we need to find new ways to communicate these new knowledges and contribute toward a better understanding of the complex issues of multispecies coexistence and flourishing. Far from providing an established framework or guidelines, we share this provocation from the outset as a catalyst for emerging collaboration and through which further open-ended questions can be explored.