Urban Microscales: Site Responsive Art Interventions and Spontaneous Urban Vegetation

Frank Sleegers (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

The value of non-indigenous, spontaneous plant vegetation in urban environments has been discussed in recent years. Some urban ecologists and researchers have questioned „state of the art” practice of eliminating non-domestic plant species from extreme urban landscapes such as brownfields or places with extreme climatic conditions (Del Tredici, 2014; Lachmund, 2013; Rohwer and Marris, 2016). Del Tredici captures typical urban infrastructure such as chain-link fences, vacant lots, stone walls and describes their prevailing colonization with plants and their ecological and aesthetic benefits.

A simultaneous discussion is guiding measures to transform challenged urban sites through tactical urbanism. This movement questions the prevalent, long-term planning strategies as these are typically expensive, institutionalized, top-down approaches with results only after significant time (Lydon and Garcia, 2015). Site-responsive art on urban sites is an example of tactical urbanism as perception of place is changed through small-scale and low-budget interventions. Installations as described by Kellner et al. (2005) emphasize underestimated or undiscovered structures or vegetation.

This paper will synthesize two different fields of research and creative work focusing on small urban sites.

One finding is that spontaneous vegetation in urban landscapes on small vacant lots and brownfields can overlap and synergize with site-responsive art. It is hoped that this can question prevailing practice of maintaining urban landscapes, and that the potentials of small urban sites can be redefined and direct further activities.

Del Tredici, Peter. (2014). The Flora of the Future. Places Journal
Kellner, R. et al. (2005). HAFENSAFARI 3 – Temporäre Installationen im Harburger Binnenhafen.

Lachmund, Jens. (2013). Greening Berlin: The Co-production of Science, Politics, and Urban Nature.

Lydon, Mike and Anthony Garcia. (2015). Tactical Urbanism.

Rohwer, Yasha Emma Marris. (2016). Renaming restoration: conceptualizing and justifying the activity as a restoration of lost moral value rather than a return to a previous state. Restoration Ecology.