Following up on the project from the seminar “Co-creating Public Space”, where we explored the human layer through participatory processes in urban design, we have now ventured into adding a more-than-human layer. This approach challenges us to step out of conventional design thinking and consider perspectives invisible to anthropocentric eyes, enabling us to create a proposal that aligns more closely with the ecosystem.
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SITE ANALYSIS
Issues recognition
As a recapitulation from last seminar, La Plaçeta de l’Avi Porta is located in the south of Santa Coloma de Gramenet, at the east of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, and is considered in the Pla Pinta Verda, an urban development plan for Santa Coloma de Gramenet, which aims to improve the quality of public spaces, connecting them with the two large green lungs that Santa Coloma already has, which are the Besòs river park and the Sierra de Marina mountain.
La Plaçeta is located in the edge of Santa Coloma & Badalona.
Historical decline in the quality of the public realm in 40 years.
Parking construction lead to the reduction of trees and green areasThe park is on the parking’s roof.
Lack of Trees and Green cover
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Lack of Benches
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Difficult to reach due to Topography
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Not a place to Stay
During the site visit, we realized that the park, which was previously a space to gather, was now a dog park. The park is also really nos truly accessible once you are inside and there is not much greenery. The park is basically designed for one type of user: a certain kind of human and its domesticated dog.
We humans are very diverse. Each one of us has a different level of vulnerability. In this Circle of Privileges we can see how each factor can shape our experience in space. Our characteristics and the space´s characteristics combine, creating a unique experience for each one of us.
One of the factors that we are going to cover in this project is Care Duties. It describes how your vulnerability depends also on if you are a caregiver, and if you care for someone alone, with a partner or collectively.
But we know that for a park to be truly diverse, more than humans have to be in the picture. With that in mind, we decided to create a circle of privilege for more than humans to be able to know their spatial needs. Shortly after starting the research, we realized that the task was too difficult and the linear way that the diagram was managing the factors didn’t fit the complexity of nature. We also got to see the taxonomic bias we have.
A large amount of questions came up, and two of them were:
- How do the humans and more than humans vulnerability factors relate?
- Is this a way to foster empathy and care?
We tried to make some connections, and very interestingly we found that Care and Visibility to Humans had a lot in common. Care-givers tend to be invisible in this system and society, and more than humans are symbolically, with anthropocentric eyes, invisible, and also literally invisible, like the species that are more active at night and we don’t tend to acknowledge.
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THE OBJECTIVE
The Care Concept
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THE PROPOSAL
The Multispecies Care Hub
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DUALITY OF THE SPACE
SECTION – DAY TIME
This section integrates interventions aimed at enhancing the site’s ecological balance. The transition from urban to wild spaces is marked by increasing vegetation density, with the rear portion emphasizing rewilding through denser planting, while the front accommodates shrubs and bushes. Given the structural limitations of the parking area beneath the garden, lightweight vegetation has been prioritized to minimize interference with load-bearing elements. Soil quality will be improved to ensure sustainable plant growth. Additionally, a rainwater harvesting system has been integrated, with pipes connected to a water tank situated in the underground parking, facilitating efficient irrigation and promoting resource conservation.
SECTION – NIGHT TIME
This section emphasizes the park’s role in supporting the nocturnal cycle, transforming it into a vessel that nurtures and rehabilitates the natural rhythms of night. The design promotes biodiversity by creating habitats and refuge for crepuscular and night-dwelling species. Vegetation density transitions from shrubs at the forefront to denser foliage toward the rear, offering varied zones suited for nighttime activity. Low-impact lighting minimizes disruption to wildlife while maintaining visitor safety. Additionally, the inclusion of water features and native plant species fosters ecological balance. This approach preserves and revitalizes the delicate cycles of the evening ecosystem, reflecting environmental stewardship.
MACROMANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Biodiverse Park Implementation Scheme
PHASE 1 – IMMEDIATE
Time: 6 weeks
Scale: 1D / micro / site surface
Goals: Understanding locals perspectives
Stakeholders: Local citizens + Municipality
PHASE 2 – MIDTERM
Time: 12 months
Scale: 2D / medium / street
Goals: Create an ownership for the park by locals
Stakeholders: Neighborhood council for participatory process + municipality
PHASE 3 – GOAL
Time: 3 years
Scale: 3D / macro / barrio
Goals: New local identity and urban landmark for the neighborhood
Stakeholders: Private + public + neighborhood
ACTIONS
- Reinforce the structure and verify the drainage.
- The 30% of the underground level taken for the implementation of water treatment system and a community room for the participatory design.
- Start a feminist intersectional participatory process with the existing community.
- Together, with the existing community, plant new vegetation.
Implement the new bus station and increase connectivity in a wider scale as well.
ACTIONS
- Create a neighborhood council as an intermediate between municipality and people to have transparent and horizontal meetings.
- Addition of more physical elements like benches, lightning, repaint walls repurposing the parking for social activities, signaling…
- Adapt the multipurpose community room and the welcoming plaza to the activities the community would like to have.
Start defining a strategy to create a trade school and expand the underground area
ACTIONS
- Completion of the underground space with low-capacity parking.
- End of formal participatory meetings regarding the project; neighbourhood meetings to continue.
- Begin project aiming to vastly increase the municipality’s ecological connectivity by creating connections between it’s public spaces.
Organize awareness and activist events that foster dialogue about the importance of multispecies solidarity, mutual respect, and interdependent care.
ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
- Allows proper soil regeneration and helps initial biodiversity growth.
- Immediately reduces water wastage, enhancing urban sustainability.
SOCIAL IMPACT
- Building of community trust and engagement through its inclusion from the very start.
- Establishment of a clear, shared plan for the space with the inclusion of diverse stakeholders.
ECONOMICAL IMPACT
- Minimizes initial costs due to the repurposing of existing space and infrastructure.
ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
- Transforms the park into an ecological corridor.
- Encourages sustainable usage of the space through its versatility and multi-purpose nature centered around social and ecological harmony..
SOCIAL IMPACT
- Fosters diversity and inclusivity through the addition of inclusive physical features.
- Promotes diversity and inclusivity through the addition of inclusive physical elements.
- Encourages social cohesion in the community.
ECONOMICAL IMPACT
- Stimulates the local economy by holding events such as skill-building workshops and community markets.
- Creates diverse opportunities for local artists and entrepreneurs
ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
- Completes the park’s transformation into a carbon sink, reducing the municipality’s carbon footprint.
- The planned connection to other green and public spaces will transform the municipality through its enhanced ecological connectivity.
SOCIAL IMPACT
- Establishes the space as a cultural and recreational hub for the community, further increasing its residents’ sense of pride and ownership
- Increases awareness of sustainability practices and social responsibility.
ECONOMICAL IMPACT
- Stimulation of the local economy by offering better connectivity to nearby services and businesses.
- Attracts outside investment and expenditure due to its unique ecological and cultural composition.
CARE FOR MORE THAN HUMAN MANIFESTO
A place where the interconnectedness of all species is recognized and celebrated.
Where the stories of all creatures—wild, domestic, feral, commodified, or overlooked—serve as bridges toward mutual understanding, solidarity, symbiotic interrelationship and care practices for all species.
The goal is not only to improve ecological connectivity but also to initiate a conversation about the ongoing colonization of the more-than-human and its commodification.
To invite to see beyond the anthropocentric perspective.
