Regenerative Placemaking: Ecosociospatial practices beyond conventional sustainability
Doctoral thesis, 2021
This study aims to understand and develop a designerly interpretation of the growing call to move beyond (conventional) sustainability that emerged in the late 1990’s. It does so through a theoretical and practical exploration of the implications of regenerative design principles for placemaking. As a testing ground for this mode of working, it explores publicly shared spaces that treat waste as a resource. More specifically: placemaking practices that try to make sense of, and adjust, people’s relationship to waste-making practices.
Public space and waste management are generally considered to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum of what is to be seen and unseen in the built landscape. But as we move towards more regenerative modes of waste management, where waste is treated as a resource, human interaction with the conversion of waste into a resource becomes ever more present in societies and built environments. It is therefore relevant to investigate how spatial design can contribute to developing and supporting a culture and system of reuse.
This design inquiry develops design theory, practices and places that communicate regenerative ways of relating humans, nonhumans, societies and ecosystems to each other through ecosociospatiality. It explores ways to foster a regenerative society through embodied encounters with spatial practices and places that foster such a mindset. It does so through pondering, experiencing and generating these types of places. It also does so by considering their implications for design thinking and spatial practices beyond conventional sustainability, i.e. the regenerative spatial practices and design thinking involved in regenerative placemaking and spatial design.
The study identifies ecosociospatial forms and practices where waste-resource relationships are involved in spatial narrativity. It delineates the nonmodern ecosociotechnic ontology and approach that characterizes regenerative (design) thinking and practice, as well as its intersecting scales of application. It also suggests the implications of these for regenerative spatial poetics and in advancing discourses and enactments of sustainability through emotive forces and effective actions. The study does so by testing and developing research methodologies that fit into what could be considered a prospective method assemblage for design-oriented performative research.
Public space and waste management are generally considered to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum of what is to be seen and unseen in the built landscape. But as we move towards more regenerative modes of waste management, where waste is treated as a resource, human interaction with the conversion of waste into a resource becomes ever more present in societies and built environments. It is therefore relevant to investigate how spatial design can contribute to developing and supporting a culture and system of reuse.
This design inquiry develops design theory, practices and places that communicate regenerative ways of relating humans, nonhumans, societies and ecosystems to each other through ecosociospatiality. It explores ways to foster a regenerative society through embodied encounters with spatial practices and places that foster such a mindset. It does so through pondering, experiencing and generating these types of places. It also does so by considering their implications for design thinking and spatial practices beyond conventional sustainability, i.e. the regenerative spatial practices and design thinking involved in regenerative placemaking and spatial design.
The study identifies ecosociospatial forms and practices where waste-resource relationships are involved in spatial narrativity. It delineates the nonmodern ecosociotechnic ontology and approach that characterizes regenerative (design) thinking and practice, as well as its intersecting scales of application. It also suggests the implications of these for regenerative spatial poetics and in advancing discourses and enactments of sustainability through emotive forces and effective actions. The study does so by testing and developing research methodologies that fit into what could be considered a prospective method assemblage for design-oriented performative research.
publicly shared space
spatial poetics
regenerative (spatial) design
design thinking
performative (design) research
waste-resource systems
beyond sustainability
placemaking
nonmodernity
SB-H1
Opponent: Lisa Babette Diedrich, Professor, Dept of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, SLU, Sweden
Author
Sigrid Östlund
Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Architectural theory and methods
The goal of living in a sustainable future has become increasingly mainstream, but critics have raised concerns about approaches to and concepts within what they call ‘conventional sustainability.’ Some critics go as far as claiming that we must move ‘beyond sustainability’ in order to achieve the true goal of sustainability, i.e. socioecological well-being.
This dissertation delves into these concerns to discern what a movement ‘beyond’ actually means and its implications for spatial design thinking, practice and expression. It does so by examining how spaces and resources are created, experienced, shared, and cared for.
At the intersection of these topics lies the practice and theory of regenerative (spatial) design, spatial poetics and placemaking. This dissertation builds upon and develops principles and practices of this designerly approach beyond conventional sustainability using design research methods. It does so by studying theories from a variety of fields and relating these to findings made during site visits and design projects of publicly shared spaces where waste is treated as a resource. More specifically, it explores the different ways that treating waste as a resource can affect spatiality and be part of the act of placemaking. The result is a deeper understanding of what moving beyond conventional sustainability entails in general, the implications this movement has for the education and practice of spatial design, as well as the potential role and experience of placehood in such a paradigm shift.
This dissertation delves into these concerns to discern what a movement ‘beyond’ actually means and its implications for spatial design thinking, practice and expression. It does so by examining how spaces and resources are created, experienced, shared, and cared for.
At the intersection of these topics lies the practice and theory of regenerative (spatial) design, spatial poetics and placemaking. This dissertation builds upon and develops principles and practices of this designerly approach beyond conventional sustainability using design research methods. It does so by studying theories from a variety of fields and relating these to findings made during site visits and design projects of publicly shared spaces where waste is treated as a resource. More specifically, it explores the different ways that treating waste as a resource can affect spatiality and be part of the act of placemaking. The result is a deeper understanding of what moving beyond conventional sustainability entails in general, the implications this movement has for the education and practice of spatial design, as well as the potential role and experience of placehood in such a paradigm shift.
Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Areas of Advance
Building Futures (2010-2018)
Subject Categories
Civil Engineering
Other Social Sciences
Roots
Basic sciences
Learning and teaching
Pedagogical work
ISBN
978-91-7905-498-4
Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 4965
Publisher
Chalmers
SB-H1
Opponent: Lisa Babette Diedrich, Professor, Dept of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, SLU, Sweden