Landscape Journal - Summer 2020: Bringing nature into the city

Page 14

BRIEFING

Phin Harper

Not all key workers wear scrubs It’s the simple things that matter most, we say. A stroll in the woods. The satisfaction of hanging a perfectly horizontal shelf. Nailing the proportion of milk to tea in a morning brew. Rustling up an especially good curry. We have often declared that the trappings of technology, consumerism and high carbon society are frivolous noise — that true contentment can be found simply in the pages of a good book read in the shade of a leafy tree. For a nourishing life, we insisted, simplicity was the best option. But suddenly simplicity has become the only option. COVID-19 has put an end to almost all complex cultural life. Multi-screen megaplex cinemas, grand theatres, humble lidos, gyms, spas, malls, clubs and pubs stand empty as our many pious remarks about the virtues of simplicity are put to the ultimate test. Is the wholesome romance of an amble in the park somewhat subdued when it is part of a government-mandated exercise regime? Is growing your own tomatoes less satisfying when it is done to stave off the boredom of being furloughed throughout a national lockdown? There is nothing romantic about COVID-19. When the hour came, many of our leaders were criminally slow to react and must, in time, be held to account, but amid the turmoil, there are moments and social changes to note and celebrate. People are reacting to the pandemic in different ways, but a recurring theme I’ve observed is the simple pleasure of stumbling upon unexplored landscapes close to home. For a nation whose slow and overpriced rail network can make it feel easier to visit another country than another county, the lockdown has helped many to discover lush green spaces, weird public art, remarkable views and dynamic architecture they never knew were on their doorstep. When lockdown is lifted and we bust back into public life, once again packing football stands 14

1. The community garden at Ernö Goldfinger’s Glenkerry House, a brutalist housing co-operative in Poplar where the writer is currently locked down. © Phin Harper

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and mosh pits, I suspect we will do so with a heightened appreciation of the precious parks and pocket public spaces which have been a lifeline, especially to those without the luxury of gardens or balconies. For three decades, the charity I work for, Open House, has thrown wide the doors of thousands of spaces, giving free access to London’s best architecture and landscapes to 2.8 million people since it was founded. We have done so because we believe that cities only truly flourish when they are open, not to a privileged few, but to all. Now, at a time of lockdowns and closures, there has never been a greater need for that mission. Throughout this pandemic, finding ways for meaningful openness to continue to thrive and grow in a city that is physically closed is a critical part of our agenda. I believe that all landscapes from the simplest flower bed to the grandest civic park, and the people who make and maintain them, are crucial allies in that fight and will be a huge part of what we

will celebrate in the next Open House festival. Not all key workers wear scrubs — some push wheelbarrows! Open House has been hit hard by COVID-19 which has stopped almost all our income. In the past we’ve rarely asked directly for support and have worked hard to keep the Open House festival free for all, but in this challenging time we need your help. We’re asking everyone who loves Open House and can afford it to make a small monthly donation, to support us through the pandemic by becoming an Open House Friend. We’re making some great rewards to say thank you to everyone who signs up too! Thank you. www.openhouselondon.org.uk/appeal Phineas Harper is an architecture critic and curator. He is director of Open City, the charity behind the Open House festival, and was chief curator of the 2019 Oslo Architecture Biennale.


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Articles inside

Jane Findlay

10min
pages 61-64

Adam White

6min
pages 58-60

Climate change resources – nature in the city

4min
pages 56-57

Can COP26 cope with climate and COVID-19?

5min
pages 54-55

Designing the urban microbiome

6min
pages 51-53

Bringing nature into school grounds

6min
pages 48-50

Hedging our bets: greening the grey in towns and cities

5min
pages 46-47

Bringing nature into the twentieth-century city

6min
pages 43-45

Balcony rights and wrongs

10min
pages 39-42

Hamburg – home of the Green Network

6min
pages 36-38

The Catalyst Cube: thinking outside the box

4min
pages 34-35

The transformation of Medellín

8min
pages 31-33

Manifesto for future relations of landscapes

6min
pages 28-30

Bath City Farm – farming for life

9min
pages 22-25

Valuing London’s urban green space in a time of crisis – and in everyday life

5min
pages 20-21

Protecting parks saves lives too

5min
pages 18-19

We have only 30 minutes to save the world

2min
page 18

Reclaiming, reimagining and redefining our streets

2min
page 16

Creating street space out of adversity

3min
page 15

Not all key workers wear scrubs

3min
page 14

Reality check

2min
page 13

Landscape for health and wellbeing

2min
pages 11-12

Landscape architecture studio keeps pace during COVID-19

2min
pages 10-11

Connecting with nature in British Columbia

2min
page 9

The challenges of urban open space in the post-pandemic global south

3min
pages 6-8
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