Modernity and globalization have significantly reduced geographical distances, transformed social interactions, and accelerated the flow of information across nations, which has, in a sense, made the world more accessible to people everywhere. However, it's important to note that when we say "everyone," we refer to a vast and diverse population. Modernity and globalization had an impact on noticeable inequalities in both social and technological realms, as more advanced and privileged nations have established benchmarks and norms for leisure, culture, and consumption. As a result, certain cultures have established a dominant influence, promoting the notion that there is a "correct" way to live and build cities. This unchecked pursuit of development comes at a significant cost to the Earth's ecosystems and biomes.
This topic is not a novel one, and the central question confronting the field of architecture is whether it is possible to harmonize urbanization with the natural environment. Several solutions have been proposed to address this challenge. The beginning of a shift in perspective becomes evident when we acknowledge the profound links between humanity and nature. Nature is not something apart from humans. Instead, humans are an inherent part of the natural world. Consequently, the choices and actions of individuals have a direct and significant impact on the environment.
In addition to adopting a systemic and circular perspective, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things in the world, the concept of territory plays a crucial role in mitigating harm and ensuring the survival of various species, including humans. Donna Haraway argues that embracing the idea of kinship is essential for our continued existence on the planet. When we combine the notions of territory and kinship among different species, we contribute to biodiversity preservation. This particular aspect is a way to harmonize urban areas with the natural environment.
Metropolitan areas often lack natural elements, yet it is increasingly crucial to care for nature. City parks can bridge the gap between these seemingly distinct elements and operate as experimental areas involving architecture and various related disciplines. Establishing an urban park involves a complex process, including securing funding, navigating legal and governmental procedures, and making substantial adjustments and relocations. This process extends well beyond the initial architectural design. If disciplines structured by human knowledge make kin, why does this idea still sound so foreign?
City parks offer opportunities to experiment with novel techniques for utilizing materials and adopting more sustainable approaches to managing water resources. They can also ease the coast-city transition, present other forms of occupation and displacement for its inhabitants, or reclassify degraded areas in neglected neighborhoods within the metropolis. Successful park projects highlight the significance of cultivating cooperative relationships among various parties involved, which benefits not just humans but also numerous species in the ecosystem. A common factor highlighting biodiversity, defined here as the interconnectedness of territory and kinship among species, is the deliberate planting of native flora in suitable climatic conditions. This practice aims to restore ecosystems to their native state, resembling conditions before the widespread influence of globalized modernity, without negating their existence.
Chapultepec Environmental Culture Center / ERREqERRE Arquitectura y Urbanismo
"The Environmental Culture Center contemplates a Pavilion surrounded by a set of Gardens with a naturalistic design and an ethnobotanical look. These Gardens refer to the diverse ecosystems and natural landscapes of the Valley of Mexico Basin (Temperate Forests, Grasslands, Wetlands, and Pedregal vegetation) and are carefully integrated with the existing vegetation, topography, and equipment of Chapultepec, thus optimizing and increasing its Great potential as an urban forest.
For the accessibility and enjoyment of these Gardens, a series of Biocultural Walks have been incorporated, which significantly improve pedestrian connectivity in this section of the Forest. The Walks offer an immersion experience in nature and an educational rediscovery of the importance of natural elements within an urban forest and our relationship with them, thus transcending their merely connective and aesthetic functionality."
The South Harbor of Køge / SLA
"The promenade’s planting is inspired by the salt meadow and the coastal planting – that can withstand sun, wind, and salt – while the nature design for the commons is inspired by the forest edges you find along Denmark's east-facing coasts. A mix of space-creating plantings, bushes, trees, and areas with low-cut grasses creates varied and eventful routes among species chosen to provide habitats for wildlife and seasonal experiences. Overall, the plants are robust, long-lived, and require low maintenance."
ARCA Portable Garden / Takk + Mireia Luzárraga + Alejandro Muiño
"Cities are the focus of this process mainly due to the concentration of CO2 emissions, the heat island effect, and the limited area of green areas, whose species are often selected with merely aesthetic or functional criteria, causing a homogenization of urban species and greater insecurity about ecosystems. […]
In this way, species capable of absorbing ten times more CO2 than usual, edible wild species that open up new possibilities in our food sovereignty, or species that are capable of summoning other agents through the establishment of relationships of mutualism, tenantism, or symbiosis will be some of the guests who will meet at the installation."
Parque Red Ribbon / Turenscape
"The park is located on the Tanghe River at the eastern urban fringe of Qinhuangdao. The following site conditions presented both opportunities and challenges for the design:
● Good ecological circumstances: The site was covered with diverse native vegetation, providing varied habitats for assorted species.
● Unkempt and deserted: Located at the edge of a beach city, the site was a garbage dump with a deserted shantytown and obsolete irrigation facilities such as ditches and water towers
● Potential safety and accessibility problems: Covered with shrubs and messy grasses, the site was virtually inaccessible and therefore unsafe for people to use.
● Functional demands: With encroaching urban sprawl, the site was used by the new communities for recreation, including fishing, swimming, and jogging.
● Development pressure: With the lower reaches of this river channeled, it seemed likely that the same was going to happen on this site. The natural river corridor would probably have been replaced with concrete embankments and ornamental flower beds.
The major design challenge was to preserve the natural habitats along the river while creating new opportunities for recreation and environmental education. The Red Ribbon was designed as a vivid element within a setting of green vegetation and blue water, curving with the terrain. It integrates a boardwalk, lighting, and seating. Made of fiberglass, it is lit from the inside, glowing red at night."
Koper Central Park / Enota
"Due to the proximity of the sea, the programme zones are appointed with numerous water elements. A pond, ground sprinklers, a geyser, parabolic water jets, cascades and a water platform in combination with the variegated urban elements encourage active use of the space and an expansion of the future beach towards the interior of the park. […]
The innovative layout of the city park is a great new asset for the citizens of Koper as it enables the development of programmes which the city presently cannot offer. The new park is an attraction and with its unique form and the manner of spatial organisation, it transcends a merely functional park regulation. It represents a prototype for further designing of the wider area, as well as motivation for development-oriented attitudes in regard to other sections of the Slovene seacoast currently in a state of decay."
Benjakitti Forest Park / Arsomslip Community and Environmental Architect
"With Thailand’s monsoon climate floods and drought are significant problems. The design acts as a ‘sponge’, a large sponge that retains rainwater in the rainy season and discharges water in the dry season with a 128,000 cu.m. water capacity. The water from the Phai Sing To canal, located next to the site is contaminated with urban runoff and sewage and is purified with bioremediation by using wetland plants, producing 1,600 cu.m. clean water/ day. The site is flat and low-lying, with an average elevation of just 0.5 meters. Most of the area was originally swampland with high groundwater levels. Thai conventional agricultural wisdom method is used to keep the tree roots higher to avoid floods and has raceways to help drain water and irrigation canals.
This project transformed hard clay surface soil into wet and spongy habitat, allowing a rich native plant community to establish itself with minimal irrigation. Planted 5600 seedlings of 360 species, which are rare indigenous trees of the central river basin mixed with small to medium-sized plants that provide shade to help seedlings grow. All existing trees on site were preserved and integrated into the park design."
