Mutualist Urbanism

Abstract

Biodiversity
in the Netherlands has been under alarming pressure for many years. Historical
drivers of biodiversity loss have been agriculture and urbanization, through
causing environmental pressure, loss of natural habitat and fragmentation of
habitat for numerous species and ecosystems (PBL, 2014). Pressure on biodiversity
remains high today as the limited amount of land in the Netherlands is used
intensively and densely inhabited.  Biodiversity
ensures the health and resilience of ecosystems (Vink, Vollaard & de
Zwarte, 2017): it influences its functioning and ability to react and adapt to
changes. People are dependent upon the world’s ecosystems through the ecosystem
services they provide, but at the same time their actions are affecting the
health and resilience of these ecosystems in a negative way. This relationship
has to change fundamentally in order to ensure a healthy future for the worlds
ecosystems and each species involved. Although biodiversity is generally higher
in cities than in the rural areas around (Pötz, 2016; Vink, Vollaard & de
Zwarte, 2017) many species are still under pressure. There is a lack of
biodiverse and connected green spaces, disturbances such as light and
maintenance are negatively affecting urban ecosystems and nesting opportunities
for species that have become dependent upon the city are disappearing
(Dramstad, Forman & Olsen, 1996; Vink, Vollaard & de Zwarte, 2017; CBS,
PBL, RIVM, WUR, 2018). This in turn also negatively affects the ecosystem
services available for people living in cities. Future urban development, such
as inner-city densification, are expected to further contribute to these
pressures, as nature is still largely excluded from urban planning and design
processes (Snep & Opdam, 2013, Pötz, 2016; Vink, Vollaard & de Zwarte,
2017; Weisser & Hauck, 2017). This graduation project researches how
knowledge from biodiversity, urban ecology and nature-inclusive design can be
translated to urban planning and design. This is done by researching theory and
at the same time studying the spatial aspects within the case study location of
the Zomerhofkwartier in Rotterdam. The aim is to reach mutualist urbanism: a
way of urban planning and design that provides conditions for strengthening
biodiversity within ‘habitats’ that will also benefit people greatly. The found
methods for a mutualist urban planning and design process consist of
facilitating an ‘interwoven urban mosaic through strongly interconnected
landscape elements’ (Forman, 2014) by designing for animals and people
simultaneously (target species and target groups). Design principles that are
then applied in design are: use, 3d connectivity, porosity, microclimate and
time. Using these methods and design principles four mutualist habitats are
designed for the Zomerhofkwartier that integrate within the ecological network
of Rotterdam: a multi-level street, a public courtyard, a collective rooftop
network and a collective garden. These mutualist environments provide a new
relationship between the city and urban nature, between built structures and
urban nature and between people and urban nature.