Exploring Bio-diversity of Urban wastelands in context of Thane city_ Design dissertation

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Exploring the Bio-diversity Potential of Urban Wastelands in context of Thane city By Nidhi Indrakumar Jain

GUIDED BY Ar. Shruti Barve

A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment Of the requirements for SEM-IX The Degree

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE MUMBAI UNIVERSITY MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA.

5TH YEAR, SEM-IX, BARD 911,

NOV’2020

Conducted at: RACHANA SANSAD’S ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE, UN-AIDED COURSE RACHANA SANSAD, 278, SHANKAR GHANEKAR MARG, PRABHADEVI, MUMBAI 400025.

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DECLARATION I hereby declare that this written submission entitled “Exploring the Bio-diversity Potential of Urban Wastelands in context of Thane city’’ represents my ideas in my own words and has not been taken from the work of others (as from books, articles, essays, dissertations, other media and online); and where others’ ideas or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. Direct quotations from books, journal articles, internet sources, other texts, or any other source whatsoever are acknowledged and the source cited are identified in the dissertation references.

No material other than that cited and listed has been used.

I have read and know the meaning of plagiarism* and I understand that plagiarism, collusion, and copying are grave and serious offences in the university and accept the consequences should I engage in plagiarism, collusion or copying.

I also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact source in my submission.

This work, or any part of it, has not been previously submitted by me or any other person for assessment on this or any other course of study.

Signature of the Student Name of the Student: Nidhi Jain Exam Roll No: 2092UBARC014F Date: 13th December’ 2020

Place: Mumbai

*The following defines plagiarism: “Plagiarism” occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of forms of plagiarism include: • the verbatim (word for word) copying of another’s work without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement; • the close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement; • unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work; • the deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own.

• “Another’s work” covers all material, including, for example, written work, diagrams, designs, charts, photographs, musical compositions and pictures, from all sources, including, for example, journals, books, dissertations and essays and online resources.

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APPROVAL

CERTIFICATE

The following Under-Grad Design Dissertation Study is hereby approved as satisfactory work on the approved subject carried out and presented in a manner sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a pre-requisite and partial fulfilment of requirement to the 5th Year Sem IX of Bachelor of Architecture Degree for which it has been submitted.

This is to certify that this student (Nidhi Indrakumar Jain) is a Bonafede Final Year student of our institute and has completed this “Exploring Bio-diversity Potential of Urban wastelands in context of Thane city” Design Dissertation under the guidance of the Guide as undersigned, adhering to the norms of the Mumbai University & our Institute Thesis Committee.

It is understood that by this approval and certification the Institute and the Thesis Guide do not necessarily endorse or approve any statement made, opinion expressed or conclusions drawn therein; but approves the study only for the purpose for which it has been submitted and satisfied the requirements laid down by our Thesis Committee.

Name of the Student: Nidhi IndraKumar Jain Date: 13th December 2020

Approved by Principal Ar. Prof. Rohit Shinkre

Certified by

College Seal

Thesis Guide Ar. Prof. Shruti Barve

Examined by

External Examiner-1

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Certified Seal

External Examiner-2

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INDEX OF CONTENTS •

Acknowledgement………………………………………………… 07

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List of Figures, Maps, Charts, Graphs and Tables……………. 08

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Abstract, Keywords……………………………………………….. 10 Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1

Concepts and Meaning of Urban wastelands……………… 10

1.2

Emergence of Urban wastelands in urban realm………….. 14

1.3

Values and significance of Urban wastelands……………… 17

1.4

Aim…………………………………………………………………….20

1.5

Objectives………………………………………………………….. 20

1.6

Methodologies…………………………………………………… 20

1.7

Scope ……………………………………………………………… 21

1.8

Limitations…………………………………………………………… 21

Chapter 2 - Literature Review 2.1

Ideas and Perceptions of Urban wastelands in……………. 22 global context

2.2

Utilization of urban wastelands during COVID-19 pandemic……………………………………………

2.3

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Interview with Wasteland Twinning Forum Co-creator…….32 Chapter 3- Urban Bio-diversity potentials in Urban wastelands

3.1

Literature review – Urban biodiversity potential in Urban wastelands …………………………

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3.2

Urban Wastelands – A bio-diversity reserve?

The ecological and biodiversity value in urban wastelands………………………………………………

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Chapter 4- Urban Wastelands in context of Thane city 4.1

Overview of Thane city………………………………………… 46

4.2

History of urban development in Thane city………………. 52

4.3

Classification of urban wastelands observed in the city… 56

Chapter 5 – Values of Bio-diversity present in Urban wastelands of Thane city 5.1

Site studies of urban wastelands in context of Thane city 59

5.2

Comparative assessment of various sites of urban wastelands in Thane city……………………………… 65

Chapter 6: Case studies 6.1

R-Urban Project in Paris- Using Underutilized spaces…….. 68 through ecological sustainable approach

6.2

Ecopolis Plaza- Madrid ………………………………………

6.3

Azulik Uh May – A socio- ecological approach in

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naturally rich site…………………………………… 81

Chapter 7: Site Study 7.1

Criteria for site selection………………………………………. 85

7.2

Site Location and Analysis ……………………………………. 88

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Chapter 8- Architectural Program Proposal 8.1

Project Feasibility and Architectural Program……………… 93

Bibliography………………………………………………………. 95 Appendices/ Annexures……………………………………….. 97

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my honour and express my gratitude to everyone who has been supportive to my ideas and the approach I went ahead with since initial stages.

I would like to first express my sincere gratitude to Ar. Shruti Barve and Ar. Prerna Thacker for being extremely supportive for the research and dissertation work which for their immense patience, explicit guidance and motivating me during hardest times. They have been encouraging me and been at all my times throughout thesis.

Special thanks to Ar. Neeruja Gupta and Ar. Neha Mungekar for their insightful comments and motivation which helped me bring in different perspectives.

Thanks to the most important people in my life who always been my support throughout tough situations and highly enthusiastic people in my life- my dearest parents and my sister; who never left stone unturned to support and back me up in every situation, providing mental and emotional support and always continue to do so in every walk of life.

Special vote of Thanks to Mr. Alex Head, for his precious time and opportunity and providing explicit knowledge on the subject through interview which proved to be beneficial for the research.

Also, Thanks to my dearest friends Ishvari Chavan, Aashita Aman and other all the colleagues and friends who have been a great help for continuous encouragement and motivation throughout the work and tough times.

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The thick vegetation along the rail sidings ............................................................... 11 Figure 2: Diagram representing different ideas associated with urban wastelands .......... 12 Figure 3: Positive and negative perception of urban wastelands ........................................ 13 Figure 4: Emergence of urban wastelands in global context ............................................... 15 Figure 5: Tangible and intangible positive and negative values offered by urban wastelands as per observation .................................................................................................. 17 Figure 6:A quote by Jane Jacobs which talks about meaning of cities as a place for everyone ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 7: A comic representation of cities being automobile landscapes than places for people ........................................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 8: Presence of spontaneous vegetation in an urban abandoned site .................... 22 Figure 9: An industrial site abandoned for decades and the present condition of the site ........................................................................................................................................................ 24 Figure 10: Abandoned lots and use of these sites by street artists ........................................ 24 Figure 11: The spontaneous vegetation spotted in wasteland sites ..................................... 26 Figure 12: Abandoned railway lines in Warsaw during Pandemic, May 2020..................... 29 Figure 13: The species variation in wastelands ........................................................................ 36 Figure 14: An abstract description of how The species reduction can adversely affect life on earth ........................................................................................................................................ 37 Figure 15:The diagram shows various factors which affect the cities ecosystem and have adverse effect on the bio-diversity due to anthropogenic activities and dense urbanization and industrialization .............................................................................................. 41 Figure 16: The various urban wasteland sites and high levels of thick vegetation observed ........................................................................................................................................................ 43 Figure 17: Thane city .................................................................................................................... 46 Figure 18: Landuse of Thane as per Environmental Report .................................................... 47 Figure 19: Map showing Terrain variation in Thane city .......................................................... 48 Figure 20: Existing Land use Map by MMRDA .......................................................................... 48 Figure 21: Proposed Land use Map of 2036 of Thane city ..................................................... 49 Figure 22: The cities around Thane city thus showing contextual importance ................... 50 Figure 23: The ecological systems present in Thane city ........................................................ 50 Figure 24: The city of Lakes - Thane city - Map showing presence of 30 Lakes in city's context .......................................................................................................................................... 51 Figure 25: Green recreational space in Thane city ................................................................. 51 Figure 26: Urbanisation impacts in few decades as observed through aerial images in Thane city ..................................................................................................................................... 52 Figure 27: Old Thane city ............................................................................................................ 53 Figure 28: Present condition of abandoned industries present in Thane city ...................... 55 Figure 29: Classification of Urban wastelands in Thane city .................................................. 58

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ABSTRACT Urban wastelands always have been neglected portions of the cities and their association with natural green places in urban realm has often been chosen to be ignored due to various issues of social and economic backgrounds. But there are values of social, ecological and bio-diversity which are also being recognized in wastelands sites. Thus, they represent contrasting vision of being critically important to be considered in land use planning and being hotspots of urban bio-diversity in urban sphere as supposed to places with no purpose and under-utilization. The research aims at exploring potentials of urban wastelands in context of Thane city and promote the strong discourse of urban bio-diversity present in urban wastelands which will become beneficial for cities which contain valuable natural resources across the wasteland sites. It will helpful in boosting and also mitigating the issues of lack of recreational and natural spaces in urban structure of the city. Various sites have been documented through photographs and critical observations which then assist in understanding the reasons of neglect and also different types of activities conducted on these sites daily by numerous users. Various comparative site studies propose different ideas in different context and the results propose higher levels of urban bio-diversity thus showcasing the potentials of these sites in enhancing the quality of life for the communities. These sites can actively support in building healthier and liveable cities ensuring balance in ecological systems in urban realm.

Keywords: Urban wastelands, urban biodiversity, socio-ecological approach, urban realm.

INTRODUCTION: 01I CONCEPTION AND MEANING OF URBAN WASTELANDS The 21st century, era of technological advances, and globalization as a concept for the cities has witnessed patterns of rapid urbanization challenging our ethos of lifestyle, values influenced by industrialism, modernism which is one of most

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dominating factors in urban realm in most of the cities observed today. The concept of urban wastelands is perceived as products of nature while they are reflection of negligence towards the holistic approach while designing cities. The conceptual idea of urban wastelands relates to the idea of waste which makes it more prone to ignorance after primary usage or simply being unused. In the works of Kevin LynchWasting Away, he describes the idea of waste as byproduct of consuming something or declining value of the object which is indeed leads to deterioration, separation and death. There are waste things, wasted spaces, wasted time and lives which seem meaningless to our perception. The word ‘waste’ itself makes us have a negative image in our minds which is a pre-conceived notion. But what mostly seem unrecognized is the potential of these wasted products.

Figure 1: The thick vegetation along the rail sidings

It is not the parks but railway sidings that are thick with flowers. —Richard Mabey The rugged field and group of trees between housing estates or next to the railroad tracks, the left-over space of deserted industrial areas, the vacant demolition site of a central city block, the narrow but warm and dry space behind bushes beneath a concrete stairway – they are the urban wastelands.

— (Schéele)

These sites are often seen in contrast with most dense urbanized areas and in isolation as space which remains ill-defined majorly. The process of urbanization and idea of modernism has always been under radar since industrial revolution. Most of the cities which we observe today are product of dynamic changes globally which result in creation of organic and unorganized planning of urban places. In the current scenario of rapid urbanization patterns and continuous development happening, often the areas which remains leftover and abandoned, just remains static in this fast-pacing life. The old abandoned sites of industries, scrapyards and

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railways which remain derelict till date often remain unused making them huge patches of wasted spaces.

These sites typically show how waste is not only matter out of place but the place which does not matter (Douglas 2002 [1966]).

The meaning of urban wastelands lies in these sites with ecological degradation due to either being used before and abandoned or assumed to be unproductive for any usage due to contaminated soil conditions and thus haven’t been utilized up to their fullest potential in an urban structure. They have occurred due to either political, land disputes, functional, regional administration, land ownership issues. These wastelands are viewed usually as spaces with no value and aren’t functioning and are even misused for certain purposes such as illegal activities, encroachments or even vandalism. Urban Wastelands can be found in a broad range of areas of demolition of old housing and infrastructure, landfills, old abandoned mining sites, former railway sites (Bonthoux et al., 2014). The site as no man’s land with fences open to anyone and free from restrictions and isolated from urban social fabric are where these sites are observed.

Figure 2: Diagram representing different ideas associated with urban wastelands

The keywords which often get associated with the terminology – Urban wastelands are interim spaces- terrain vague-interstitial landscapes- ruined urban landscapesbrownfields-leftover spaces-derelict land. They portray a narrative of urban landscapes with ideas of urban decay and dereliction which have negative impact on humans and environment which we live in. They are sited to be inaccessible and

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the question of safety and security becomes a concern which is another reason why they appear as threat to the society. They not only seem inaccessible but sometimes also are threat due to conditions that prevail there and due to long period of no usage generally makes the place decay and the multiple layering of degradation brings in more issues to resolve in these sites. The economic deprivation leading to them converting to temporary dumps becomes even an inconvenience from a point of view of people residing near this area or accessing them as well. The maintenance rates of these sites are also another issue in urban development of such areas thus leading to overlooking towards such sites.

There is general misconception which follows in minds of people regarding the urban wastelands because of the physical environment they present in front of us, but what is overlooked as negative, dysfunctional and garbage to some, it also represents potential of reuse or urban renewal which will then continue to become more complex to work with, if pre-conceived idea continues in our urban context. As per Roger Trancik – Finding Lost spaces, the idea of building structures within and approach of designing structures as single entity and not as an entire area of the site and its impact on natural environment thus creates structures without ecological approach.

Figure 3: Positive and negative perception of urban wastelands

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The notion of urban wastelands is not only related to negligence but also as part of memory of the cities. The fragmented parts of urban structure which do not function and we can’t relate to them, often by artists and creative individuals seen as space of creativity rather than memory of ruins and dereliction. The image that is perceived in our minds by such spaces paints a dystopian picture but also in contradiction has a utopian vision attached to it. They signal variety of scenarios in our minds – the blighted areas, the former transportation sites, the literal dumps and so on. One very important question to pose is how do urban wastelands make us feel? ( (Misra) In order to understand narratives of urban wastelands is to recognize complexities in urban fabric. ‘Cities are not static objects, but active arenas marked by continuous energy flows and transformations of which landscapes and buildings and other hard parts are not permanent structures but transitional manifestations. - (Hall)

1.2I EMERGENCE OF URBAN WASTELANDS IN AN URBAN REALM

The industrial revolution brought in lot of flux in urban structure and the cities which started developing with abundant land to be converted into huge masses of industrial estates, exhaustive mining took place and rapidly urban expansion started to take place in all the parts of the world. The economic crisis which hit major cities in European cities due to World War II saw major decline in heavy industries and shift towards technological advanced areas and information processing which led to abandonment of certain industrial areas, derelict sites and underused structures, storage yards and rail corridors. (Southworth). The first instances when urban wastelands have emerged in European countries are due to the complex interaction in technological, economic and demographic factors. (Rink) In European cities, majority of abandoned wasteland sites belonged to industrial sector. The postindustrial phase saw decline in economic structure of cities to major extent and also migration led to abandoned plots across the cities and ill maintained structures which turned out to ruined for long period.

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Figure 4: Emergence of urban wastelands in global context

In India, there was change observed in all sorts of political and social changes happening during post- industrial period and the image of cities were western ideas which started to influence these cities as well. The urban growth saw various people migrating into cities and inorganic development with huge no. of people across these industrial estates based in metropolitan cities began to rise. The concept of haphazard and dense living with temporary sheds and make up for living in cities became part of growing dense urban areas which form around 50% of how Indian cities-built structures are observed.

The post – Industrial era brought in lot of industries into play in developing cities and due to economic disparities, they started shifting to different smaller developing towns with low cost or they started shutting down. The old railway yards with older technology started to become old abandoned railway yard sites with no value and started becoming defunct and eyesore in the cities. The cities which were getting developed across the world saw rise in newer advanced infrastructure in newer areas and the older portions saw decline and abandonment and also less attention was paid due to the poor quality of infrastructure. Thus, maintaining these structures became more tedious and thus such sites were either demolished or kept to stay as they were, unless there were potential buyers for the place.

There are also brownfield sites constitute around 10-20% of urban wastelands which shut down due to economic or political issues. They are often turn out to be abandoned for longer than expected years and the owners usually tend to shut down and fence the site to avoid any issues. Thus, due to low maintenance and

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longer period of no usage of these sites, they tend to become contaminated and they tend to be seen as liability due to the degraded soil conditions, higher cost of maintenance and cleaning, complex regulations to redevelop them and generate a sense of insecurity (Southworth) But, one of the factors that is overlooked is that they can be viewed from perspective on closing land-use cycle and can be financially viable and create enhanced quality of life. They can be envisioned for reducing carbon footprint and recycling materials which have been dumped on site.

One of major issues cities face currently is problem of waste which is generated daily and dumped daily without any treatment on landfills which have not been designed and they are even before understanding the site turn into wastelands and years and years of dumping plastic and lethal chemicals causes these sites to turn extremely dangerous and multiple layers of soils regeneration eventually is disrupted. The ecological degradation of these areas is disturbed to higher levels than other types of wastelands sites and they are not only ecological degraded but the environment becomes unhealthy and it increases risk of respiratory diseases, disturbed mental health conditions, and overall unhygienic conditions for all biotic factors present in and around the environment. They turn into harmful areas which are affecting urban climate and one of the causes for global warming. One of the ideas which author Berger offers is that the creation of wastelands should not be perceived negative as ‘from its deindustrializing inner core to its sprawling periphery to the transitional landscapes in between, the city is a manifestation of industrial processes that naturally produce waste’. Berger also put forth that the concept of wasteland is an indicator of urban healthy growth but this is often misunderstood by the common people who reside in cities.

These ruined urban sites in an urban realm emerge due to the conditions which prevail and have seen exhaustive nature of anthropogenic activities or are result of negligence towards these sites and thus turn into wastelands in urban context. The lifecycle and timeline of how do they emerge in first place is an important factor to understand these sites and generate sensitive approach while intervening on these sites.

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1.3I VALUES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF URBAN WASTELANDS The social perception and notion of urban wastelands have been usually negative and threat to society or associated with illegal activities taking place or people which may inhabit those areas illegally and thus it becomes more insecure and brings in disconnected to people who either reside near the site or area in which it is situated in. The negligence towards such sites by the owners in hope of increase in their values make them even difficult to work with and the value can only be created by public participation and engagement in public realm. (Graner) . The sites are also often seen as places with rich spontaneous vegetation and spaces of urban wilderness. They not only offer new spaces for green infrastructure to strive in, they become home to richest species of plants and animals and even small insects.

These help in sustain the ecology of the city and the area around and can be viewed as important resource for exploring green spaces in urban areas.

Figure 5: Tangible and intangible positive and negative values offered by urban wastelands as per observation

Source: Author

These sites offer opportunities of temporal nature and can be adaptable in nature for future use. They can be useful for community participatory activities and bring in

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sense of belonging through various temporal activities. Though they are considered useless sites – they are also used as temporary dumps or scrapyards, shelter for homeless people (Southworth).Thus, they become important for what we consider useless. Using the word- wasteland becomes significantly subjective, because they can become more productive than many other spaces. They can be spaces for exploration and innovation, these sites can make people indulge into new space unexplored and bring in concept of co-existing with what we consider as waste. The abandoned rail yards become spaces for children and use them to hangout in urban congested areas. The spaces offered by urban wastelands become places for artists to reimagine their thoughts and bring in creativity, experimentation and discovery of new products. They offer the idea of escaping into fictional world and become places for poets to romanticise with different ideas. These sites bring in quality of freedom which we want to seek often from dense urban areas and thus become important for artists and content creators. The space becomes a place in most unthinkable manner where you feel at peace. These ruined landscapes provide new narratives for creative professionals. Creativity is always looking for new perspectives and lens to re- imagine and explore. These urban wastelands are out of social order which is why they can be utilized to their potentials and thus become a place for socializing than ruining the place and let it become eyesore to context.

(Southworth) One important factor to consider is change in perspective regarding them and how even sites where in soil is contaminated to large extents become potential and not become burden for the society because ultimately whatever we create then affects us as well. The communities and their sense of place is important for healthy community living, wellbeing and mental health. Not all urban wastelands can offer potential, but if action is taken to redevelop for communities keeping in mind the health and social structure, they can become active and productive and become places for everyone. (Southworth)

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Figure 6:A quote by Jane Jacobs which talks about meaning of cities as a place for everyone

Source: https://thecityfix.com/blog/urbanism-hall-fame-jane-jacobs-inspires-sustainablehuman-centered-cities-rachel-jaffe-dario-hidalgo/

Figure 7: A comic representation of cities being automobile landscapes than places for people

Source: https://azdailysun.com/seligman-and-the-film-cars/article_cb8b0180-5e2311e5-9fd9-8b3c3e3fd839.html Cities have become automobile driven landscapes and many spaces in the city have become dedicated to parking and thus this is impacting the places for humans to socialise and interact. In the book, Finding Lost Spaces – Roger Trancik (Trancik) has mentioned how the urban places are become introverted with structures becoming increasingly dependent on private automobiles and thus create spaces with no relation to human social fabric. These urban wastelands often also become places for scrapyards or dumping old cars and thus don’t contribute

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positively to the community they are situated in. But, if redeveloped keeping in mindset of becoming spaces for recycling materials present on site, these can become useful areas for recycling waste of all kinds and generate different opportunities for creating products for furniture, construction and artistic sculptures using these materials which will then promote sustainable environment.

Recycling and reusing waste spaces or wasted products is one of key opportunities which can become asset rather than liability as often perceived as by people and property owners. There are not only old structures which face this issue, there are many new structures which face this deserted issue and become almost unusable due to improper management strategies. These sites have challenge of previous notion which has to be faced and these can be done through public involvement since the idea stage and strategically planned out through public participatory approach. Recycling and upcycling these urban wastelands become important at neighbourhoods well as city scale.

AIM: Re- Defining and exploring Bio-diversity potential of Urban wastelands Through SocioEcological Approach in Precinct scale Of Thane City.

Objectives: • • • • •

To understand the role of wastelands in maintaining ecology and urban biodiversity of urban environment.

To understand the existing ecological systems and strengthen the gap of biodiversity and humans present in Thane city.

To promote sustainable and eco-friendly possibilities in the wastelands observed in urban context.

To project the idea of co – existence of wastelands with the local community by creating social and ecological balanced environment.

To nurture healthy lifestyle, boost creativity and enhance quality of life of the neighborhood.

Methodologies: • • •

Gaining thorough knowledge of natural ecological systems present in the urban context of Thane.

Understanding how changing land use and urban bio-diversity is getting affected and the core issues and impacts caused due to multiple factors.

Studying the evolution and history of development of city of Thane and how urbanization has affected the ecology.

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• • •

Understanding different classifications of urban wastelands and issues related to them.

Analyzing the patterns of ecological nature in the city of Thane.

Site visits and surveys through online forms and personal interactions to people related to the subject.

Scope of Research: The scope of the research extends to the idea of exploring and unfolding potential of urban biodiversity existing in Urban Wastelands which are ecologically affected due to multiple situations in observational scope in Thane city extents and how changes in Land use has an impact in utilizing urban wastelands. The research examines how can urban biodiversity which flourishes in Urban wastelands can help the local people to engage with nature through architectural interventions which are ecologically sensitive and gain thorough knowledge of biodiversity systems and also helps change the negative perception through creating connections in order that the ecology is maintained.

Limitations: The research conducted required various site visits and due to pandemic situation, they were limited in accessibility and thus through various online research papers, the biodiversity potential has been procured. The knowledge regarding land ownership had to be limited to DP plans, and online medium was only resource for gaining knowledge. The definition of urban wastelands is clearly defined in the research and sites chosen are purely observational knowledge as wastelands do not have a particular designation in land use in city extents.

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2.1I LITERATURE REVIEW ON CONCEPTS AND PERCEPTIONS OF URBAN WASTELANDS

Figure 8: Presence of spontaneous vegetation in an urban abandoned site

Source: Terrain Vague https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Terrain_Vague/gU99AgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv= 0

Urban wastelands are referred by different names, differently perceived and bring in lot of temporal nature in terms of usage of these spaces. There are various interpretations by people when the name ‘Urban wastelands’ is spoken about but there are similarities in the nature of the spaces and their usage – they don’t have an official land use and they remain temporary or unused. The sites vary from various sizes and shapes and their location in urban realm and their period of becoming abandoned or initial stages of becoming urban wasteland. But, one of significant points which is often overlooked is that their linkage to urban fabric evolution. They

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are significant as they become mirrors to the unplanned areas or neglected zones in urban realm. (Giardinelli) Wastelands in urban context form a part of urban landscapes and are present in many areas due to which they are viewed everyday by city dwellers. They are neglected portions of urban structure and often used by children as playgrounds or sites for illegal people to inhabit. The author- Anastasia Giardinelli, in her research paper brings in the question of how these sites contribute to green infrastructure of the city and how are they perceived by residents living across these sites or areas.

The author mentions three issues which needs to be taken into consideration when dealing with the urban wastelands- social perceptions, ecological and urban planning issues. They can be related to spaces with no social order and spaces to enjoy freedom from any controlled environment.

Cities are spaces of multiple complex processes which take place and they are formed because of multiple areas forming either one after another or gaps between certain distance of area which become occupied and areas are formed. In the book, Mapping Landscapes in Transformation, one chapter – Unfolding Wastelands talks about mapping these sites in cities and understanding these unknown sites in urban context. Wastelands are seen as form of transformation in the past in forms of unbuilt or abandoned built spaces and their existence is evidence of historical landscapes which remain unused and serve no purpose. They indicate changes in processes and how they become forgotten in urban realm in strong context of time and space. (Furlan).

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Source: Terrain Vague https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Terrain_Vague/gU99AgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv= 0

The idea of place as a waste and different conceptions of urban wastelands in former industrial districts is introduced by the author – Brian Rosa, where he also explores the evolution and development through historical evidences as well as their values in public realm. The wastelands as terrain vague in age of deindustrialization and fragmented urban structure are defined by their disorderly appearance and improper maintenance, their dysfunctional appearance as well and underutilized as per social perception. They do not function or seen as unproductive for any usage and show economic underperformance which thus make them more prone to dereliction. The observations are lack of social and economic value, the presence of waste materials, ruin and wild habitat of vegetation. Through post-industrial era and dense urbanization, they are becoming crucial in redevelopment in urban fabric. However, due to dense thick vegetation that has been observed in these sites they appear to offer space for biodiversity and visual green aesthetic to flourish.

There are multiple values which are offered by these wastelands but economic concerns suppress opportunities which can bring up their importance in cities.

Figure 10: Abandoned lots and use of these sites by street artists

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` Source: Brian Rosa (Rosa)

The term wastelands is often seen where land is seen as a waste which then leads to idea of waste and value. The idea of waste itself makes it invaluable component in people's minds. Gidwani and Reddy stress on inefficient systems, poor wealth generation from the commodity and exploited resources. However, according to Polanyi, land cannot be tradable as it is element of nature interwoven into man's institutions. The idea of wastelands emerged when land owners marked certain portions of land as waste ground and by early 19th century, they became increasingly categorised into mutually constitutive and interchangeable. Di Palma points out that the changing land uses and change in landscapes, in England they were being recognized as aesthetically pleasing area and she mentioned how these sites which she called anti -picturesque landscapes which became prime areas for beauty, sublimity and thus brought in the idea of improving these ruined landscapes.

In this sense, a wasteland is united not by what it is or what it has, but rather, by their absences. ... The emptiness that is the core characteristic of the wasteland is also what gives the term its malleability, its potential for abstraction; a vacant shell, it lies ready to include all those kinds of places that are defined in negative terms. – Di Palma

The idea of wastelands emerged during deindustrialization and migration, which lead to shrinking of old cities and abandoned large areas which were industries.

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Figure 11: The spontaneous vegetation spotted in wasteland sites

Source: Brian Rosa (Rosa)

The reason why urban wastelands also remain unoccupied is the idea for them becoming extremely important for redevelopment at higher price. It also happens that they may look artificially ruined but they might be subjected to significant economic investment. The vision for urban wastelands is seen in temporal usage and activities which can recreate social spaces and generate spaces for creatives, homeless people and or gardening and playing.

According to author, the waste in wastelands comprises of dual meanings- one is evaluation of physical present condition and economic context of the site. Another is how much is it used by people for temporal usage and activities that happen in these sites. (Rosa)

Wasteland bears witness to [our] actions; it is our conscience, our terrain of contestation. As a space of resistance, of challenge, and, ultimately, of possibility of change, wasteland has the potential to be the landscape paradigm for our uncertain and troubling times. (Di Palma 2014: 244) The origins and how has it been called as unused urban space itself comply learning about it’s reason to be vacant. There are various aspects to be taken into consideration while calling a particular land – a wasteland. First step is to understand the difference between an urban unused space and an urban wasteland. The

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distinction is made where in there are certain unused vacant lots which are never occupied by any infrastructure or people due to certain reservation employed on them or being empty in context to surroundings and then there are vacant unused urban spaces which have been either used before or have become contaminated due to temporal usage as dump yards: The terrains which have been historically turned into abandoned lots and derelict spaces or become contaminated due to disposal of waste come under category of urban wastelands. There are two possible causes – one they are intentionally left undeveloped and reserved or else have defunct over years. The research is focused on these urban wastelands which remain unused due to certain political, economic, ecological issues and envisions the future of these urban wastelands – in form of presenting the question of does it needs to conserved or transformed? These sites are subjected to land ownership, reclamation and taxes levied in urban context. The reclamation or development of these sites depend upon not only production or labour on lot but also development of the city as a whole and its geographical position of the site in the city. The root cause of urban wastelands can only be explained through circumstances and development of the surroundings. Ebner talks about how these urban wastelands are production of urban space, rather than products of nature. The historical background becomes critical which reveals the cause of its no usage or abandonment and lack of activity. The origins can be found in urban planning patterns, based on growth patterns and reservation or decentralisation of industries.

They may become political agenda or real estate developer’s scheme and question of power between private and government ownership in urban planning issues. It brings in urban issues and policies which make up the cities and how compact cities theories become concentrated and dense cities which lack natural green spaces. The air quality is reduced due to pollution in compact cities approach and thus these urban wastelands become pockets of marginal nature which preserve the urban biodiversity and natural green areas in the city. Few architects also emphasize on significance of porosity which these sites offer in urban compact spaces. These seed- beds of urbanity as Christianse calls abandoned industrial and transportation sites offer rare sites with less control and are geographically centrally located which make them even more important and can serve for reinvention of the city and playgrounds for experimental forms of architecture.

Another key value which is increasingly becoming known is the environmental quality which is present in urban wastelands. A British Urban wildlife habitat organisation affirms that ecological value of urban wastelands in disused railway sidings, demolition sites and derelict spaces contain unique habitats to flourish. They comprise of wide range of species of plants and animals which thrive on spontaneous thick vegetation. The lack of awareness of nature conservation value is often seen and intervening and redeveloping these sites often disturbs natural

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ecology of the place. The author brings into attention that if these sites are transformed into another residential development, there is potential of losing on important habitat for ecosystem. Often the least that can be done on the site is public access to these natural habitats.

Two ways of how they become primary concern during development of cities are one is their political status and management of these sites and next is handling these sites in city renewal scenarios. The research talks about increasing value of the urban wastelands in transforming the city but also there are factors which need to understood which is for whom are these sites being accessible. It is hence important decision of conserving or transforming these areas.

Thus, they should not just become a reflection of their own current state but be recognized for what they offer and their potential of becoming identities for the cities if managed appropriately and can enhance communities in urban context.

The urban wastelands not only enhance but also help in understanding value of waste as a concept and how if various authorities in the city understand their ecological value there can be more responsible and sensitive decisions which can prove beneficial for this as well as future generations. (Nefs)

2.2 I UTILIZATION OF URBAN WASTELANDS DURING COVID PANDEMIC Urban wastelands and their relationship with users have been always varied and subjective and personal as per various neighbourhoods and context it is subjected to in urban structure. The time and place are important considerations during the subject which surrounds the concepts and understanding the premise of urban wastelands. In the very critical times of pandemic situations which is currently one of important times and hardest times for people in history of 20th century, it became important to also understand various perspectives by the people during lockdown situations and new context also. Often, urban wastelands are perceived negatively due to the visual appearances and fearful scenarios that revolve in the minds of people just observing abandoned or isolated sites of wastelands. The former industrial sites which remain vacant and are fenced for many decades and without any human connection to these sites and due to inaccessibility or vacancy and isolation which becomes highly scary for people. Thus, they are perceived as eyesores situated in the cities and neglected portions of urban structure.

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Figure 12: Abandoned railway lines in Warsaw during Pandemic, May 2020

(Anna Gałecka-Drozda)

New infrastructure and urbanisation in different parts of the cities continue to be build and lesser construction happens where the urban wastelands are present as they are sited negative by investors and thus become question for safety of people of the vicinity. Thus, due to rare human connections to the site, there are thick spontaneous vegetation and dense plantations that are observed and they become reservoirs for bio-diversity and green infrastructure to flourish. In this year of 2020, a different context of pandemic situation has taken place in the world, and has seen a completely different picture of social distancing and restrictions in public spaces and recreational spaces. It has seen different mode of lifestyle and completely changed the functioning of works, education and digitalisation is the only source for people to contact , learn and work. In such situations of staying at home to avoid spread of diseases and accessibility being restricted at all the public spaces, the research by Anna Ganko (Gańko) is an observational research which brought a new lens to subject of accessing urban wastelands and social usage in pandemic context. Urban wastelands characterised by the conditions of ground to negative perceptions which are created, they are not much accessed by many people and remain in isolation and minimum interaction and many species are thus found and the nature which seems to embrace this silence, bio-diversity and species

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richness flourish and dense plantations prosper and many insect species and animals as well are found who find this as their home. The interview conducted during the research, one of the people present on site for certain purpose, talked about how being on site makes him feel as an escape from hustling life of cities. This positive response by certain users help in understanding various perceptions people have and the value they hold in argument of their usage and misuse as well. These sites in urban realm provide with ecosystem services and comprise of various ruderal species which adapt to lands intensively used before or abandoned contaminated lands, and are known as invasive species. The ecologists find this interesting and place the ideas of urban wastelands as places were urban wild nature can habitat.

Gillis Cement, in his manifest calls urban wastelands as “Third Landscape” which he defines as “space which does not surrender itself to any political power or authority and strongly expresses them as reservoir of natural freedom – organic and uncontrolled biodiversity which is unique to that area only and home for rare species.

It is the nature of the urban wastelands which is out of spatial and social order and surrounded by green varied species which helps Mother Earth find it’s home in these areas and as prime focus is wilderness which is found in urban wastelands, they help in providing with spaces without human imposition. The recognition of urban wastelands as habitat for distinct species and natural biotic elements is crucial to also utilize them in current period and promote biodiversity at the same time and also provokes the question of understanding them useful land than a wasteland.

During Pandemic situations which are still under radar and restrictions on accessibility of public oriented spaces, the social and physical presence at public place which served purpose to people as per regulations was denied access but this was not the case for urban wastelands as these sites never withhold attention and saw minimum human control and the informal usage by residents thus becomes a key factor to engage with nature by being in isolated areas which are not normally used in public realm.

The green vegetation and butterflies and insects of various types, the experience of true nature which ecologists call it, started getting recognised and hence escape from city in the city itself made the urban wastelands more accepting by common people. These sites thus became alternative to designed gardens, parks and let people have freedom from stressed and controlled environment people lived in. The spaces called as exploratory labs, and artist’s paradise also became important for anybody and everybody in the city from all the economic and religion backgrounds. The everyday activities such as walking, exercising or even socialising in pandemic which was main reason for regulated areas of the city to be denied

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public interaction, saw people engaging in places of urban wastelands more and everyday activities saw residents of the locality have little own time in places of freedom and no regulations and help their well – being even in normal times. The co-existence of various types of animals, plants, biotic elements and different users in social context is only possible in areas with no regulations and planning authorities.

The acceptance of urban wastelands is not only required during tough times of pandemic, it is also required at normal times as well and negative perceptions people have about these sites can be changed through access and proper management of these sites. It is interesting how these wastelands which look like they serve no purpose and become temporary dump yards and lots of wasted products are disposed, people who sort the garbage here and junk collectors use the wasted products for selling the scrap and thus make a living for themselves. Thus, urban wastelands become spaces for economy for people with financial problems.

These sites question why even in public places the entry to homeless people denied and how can public places become more accepting to the people with no homes or no money and not feel unwanted as they can prove to be important if given the opportunity to do something productive for the living than begging on daily basis.

The pandemic which brought the world to halt, and brought cities to static position, taught us one thing for sure, nothing remains permanent and constant busy life and normal times can also be on hold for around many months now. The things or places which are perceived negatively can become potential only when we look at them from different lens. The urban wastelands which are getting recognized now from being urban bio-diversity hotspots to places for everyone teaches us that coexistence is important and resilience is the future for living. These sites can open up conversation of being open, inclusive and diverse spaces for everyone. The shrinking cities which are facing issues of compact dense environment and formal greenspaces which are less in number than wasteland sites, here the wastelands can be introduced as sites for environmental and bio-diversity hubs which help build liveable cities. They demonstrate high number of biodiverse species which are boon to the city and the only way to rejuvenate urban spaces and increasing productivity in pandemic situation is through allowing people to access these sites which will help in psychological and mental well-being of people and also pets and animals wellbeing.

“The way we shape urban space today and after pandemic,

and therefore the way we preserve or fill urban vacancy, may be critical for our future wellbeing.”

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2.3 I INTERVIEW OF WASTELAND TWINNING NETWORK CO-CREATOR ON WASTELANDS IN URBAN CONTEXT Urban wastelands and their potentials are usually neglected and often remain unheard and subjected to delay and perceived useless or spaces with no value by the people. The issues which follow their abandonment and misuse causes people to stay away from dealing with these sites most of the time. But, for some people, these sites are subjected to exploring new dimensions of creative placemaking and adventurous unique landscapes present in urban context. The online research and blogging portal called “WASTELAND TWINNING” co-created and co- founded by five individuals of different backgrounds – Will Foster, Matthias Einhoff, Lars Hayer, Justin Carter and Alex Head, who are artists, photographers and activists in Glasgow and Berlin of various art forms from social to digital mediums. This online platform was created in order to understand how wastelands are used and function in cities context.

“Urban wastelands are at the centre of conflicts around cultural, economic and historical hegemonies. The common notion still remains that wastelands are of no value until developed. However, these types of spaces hold a unique and valuable role in the future of humanity as we question notions of progress and strive for more sustainable models of living. Urban wastelands support inner city biodiversity, provide carbon sinks, improve hydrological attenuation, provide open space and represent freedom from the controlled built environment. As metaphors wastelands typify the cause and effect of our constant (re)development.”- (Wastelands Twinning)

The intention of the creators is to provide opportunity for multiple collaborations and activities within wide range of individuals, collectives and organisations to boost the potentials of wastelands in urban context. The key is to understand the relationships of such sites with people and nature and how crucial it is to know the significance of these sites in urban studies as well as urban ecological studies. The online platform provides various opportunities to co-work, co- create and present numerous possibilities in sites which are perceived as useless by many people and help generate creativity in places which get neglected due to political dominance or economic crisis.

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Alex Head, one of the co-founders has been a part of the Network Forum for 8 years and has seen the juggle that comes with tag of Urban wastelands in minds of people. He has been actively involved in creating events and community discussions and mapping down the urban wastelands and creating informal activities and engaging people is one of his ideas to rejuvenate urban wasteland sites. His practice facilitates meetings between artists and common people and captivating moments of creative discussions through various mediums and translating ideas into public events, radio broadcasts and prints. The interview was taken through online video conference medium.

The interview brought in new dialogue and presented variety of ideas and experiences which was critical to understand their significance on the first place. The artist Alex Head’s journey and shared experiences motivated positivity with visions that can become future possibilities and re-discovery of urban wastelands in urban sphere.

The most critical thing according to Alex Head in terms of studying different aspects of urban wastelands is the timeline and historical background of the context of the study. The economic and political ethos in which urban wastelands emerge on first place becomes important of owners and urban players involved in these sites’ development. Urban wastelands are these products of infrastructure development in urban realm and though sited as spaces with negative imagery, they could become sites of public engagement dedicated to urban commons than real estate development which can energize the neighbourhood towards positive direction.

The people residing in the context of these sites perceive it either negatively or as informal green space beneficial for healthy lifestyle depending upon the context.

Thus, the contextual importance and the active role of the stake on that site brings upon question of who can have a say on its development. The land owners, the people who actively use the sites and the government if act together to retain the character and temporal nature of urban wastelands can help in boosting community interaction and helping in resolving issues in neighbourhood or city scale.

The numerous temporary activities conducted by the organisation brought in lot of people which helped understand the different conversations which can be built, different professionals which can work together to build in healthy participative communities and enhance quality of life through social programs.

The perspective shift is what can help change the current situation of wasteland sites in urban sphere and help in revitalizing inactive lifestyle due to urbanisation and lack of recreational spaces in urban structures today. But it is also important to consider the issues of maintenance and management which is vital in activation of urban wastelands. They have higher risk of becoming inactive again if program fails to engage people towards better future. But since, they are easy to access for everyone but people don’t due to fear of nasty things happening on those sites

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which actually don’t, various public oriented temporary activities can be conducted to rejuvenate stress of different people and help people recognize potentials of wasteland sites.

Most of the urban wasteland sites visited by Mr. Alex seem to have an interesting formal as well as informal character and ecologically rich reserves where wildlife and bio-diversity was actively buzzing and the place though seemed of no purpose turned out to be more like nature’s reserve and visually inspiring. The conditions though vary from site to site but interestingly every other site represents some sort of nature presence which then calls for it’s revival. The parameters to understand wasteland sites is through socio- economic conditions which prevail in immediate context of these sites and the period of decay. The engagement of urban commons plays vital role and thus needs to be priorities while proposals and discussions on these sites. The wastelands have potential of certain amount of reflection of inner self, immersing oneself in pure isolation and knowing oneself and values of transgression which takes us to different sort of feeling we don’t experience in cities.

The characteristics of informality is what seems attractive and can be optimized for socially engaging people with each other and contribute to cities development in holistic manner. The characteristic of presence of variety of species of plants and animals, and other biotic elements provide enrichment in qualities which are not evident in other urban spaces as in these sites.

It can be inferred that not only can urban wastelands assist in re-imagining the cities, they also conserve rich urban bio-diversity and maintain ecological balance of the city’s ecosystems. The different perspectives put under the table also suggests that urban wastelands can become places for exploring urban common spaces.

The various scenarios of cities such as Hamburg have seen social transformation of such wasteland sites into places for urban commons, festivities and not only this but also places for exhibitions by artists, weekly art markets, open movie screenings. It implies that to protect urban wastelands, it requires programs of public participations, local people engagement can help build planning as per local people needs and not only for economic enhancement. The people require spaces for just meeting, socializing, eating and connecting to each other which lacks in majority of cities across the world. Hence, wastelands can become that place for social hub to energize, socialize and interactive public platform where social, cultural activities take place.

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3.1I LITERATURE REVIEW ON BIODIVERSITY POTENTIAL OF URBAN WASTELANDS Since post- industrial era, urbanization and globalization concept were introduced and in period of few years became vital for countries for economic gain and employment structure. The lifestyle, rapid pace of economic and infrastructure development started becoming fundamental for foundation of cities. The population increase was so high, organic urban patterns and urban sprawl defined urban fabric. The dynamic changes without environmental consideration led to issues of threat to biodiversity, climate changes and natural resources scarcity which are global issues across the world. These global issues play essential role in ecological footprint of cities and has impact on all the forces in the life of earth. The changes in land- uses began to represent losses of bio-diversity in local, global and regional scales. The urbanization in research saw changes in adaptation of vegetal and animal species as well. (Norbert Muller)

The urban wastelands observed from social dimension are often overlooked and sited as useless places with no productive potential though these places offer significant amount of urban wilderness and contribute to hybrid biodiversity in an urban fabric. It implies that socio- ecological value of these sites and their significance in urban context are not recognized. The wastelands occur throughout the city ranging from central to peripheries of the city. These places should not be undervalued and as a sign for healthy urban environment which needs attention.

Cities are not usually thought of as important for biodiversity although the importance of urban biodiversity conservation is increasingly recognised. Yet cities are heterogeneous in space and time and are highly dynamic spaces. Biodiversity richness is not evenly distributed across the urban landscape. Different densities of buildings act as a major driver of plant species composition. Increased density has a strong negative influence on species richness mainly because they tend to generate higher temperatures compared to more open areas. The research focuses on the idea of connection of natural environments and utilizing wastelands for preserving bio diversity of prime importance so that people’s quality of life and connectivity with nature can enhance. So, according to the research, it is observed that these places also have environmental image issue. (Hall).

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Figure 13: The species variation in wastelands

Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/9047/patterns-and-drivers-of-urbanbiodiversity

Promotion of bio-diversity is necessary to accommodate environmental services which have been depleted due to rapid urbanisation and anthropogenic activities leading to reduced air and water quality, connectivity to natural environment, toxic chemicals leading to unhealthy ecosystem. Urban biodiversity also plays prime role in mitigating climate change and urban heat island effect which is caused due to dense urban environments. The recognition is required not only for the aesthetically pleasing natural environment but also for environmental degradation which due to time made them derelict. The wasted places not seem as a waste but also show the powerless environment and land claims situation of the place. It was also observed that economically deprived areas face these issues of not being able to access these areas due to them turning into temporary dumping grounds. The dereliction and urban neglect in certain areas was observed and residents in these areas in the city could not pressurize city governments agencies but they were aware of the values these wastelands offer. (Hall)

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Figure 14: An abstract description of how The species reduction can adversely affect life on earth

https://www.economist.com/the-world-in/2019/12/30/biodiversity-moves-into-thesustainability-spotlight

According to Hough, the assumption which is reasonable enough to understand quality of social and ecology of urban life is connected to image of nature in the cities. Thus, the inference which the author does is that the design approaches which integrate the ecological functionality, aesthetic appearance, and recreational potential of spontaneous urban woodlands [and other wasteland vegetation] are more likely to succeed than those which focus on ecology alone’.

As Berger went on to note, ‘The challenge for designers is thus not to achieve dross less urbanization but to integrate inevitable dross into a more flexible aesthetic and design strategies. The projects which associate with reclamation and urban regeneration, the designers need to take into consideration environmental value of the spontaneous natural elements presented while dealing with wastelands and designs need to be ecologically sensitive and eco- friendly in order to experience the essence of the place while being relatively sensitive to the environment around.

Indeed, as Del Tredici (2010: 310) suggests that the design approaches for the project which amalgamate ecological functionality, aesthetic and recreational objectives in urban wastelands would help more than just focusing on nature alone as entity. (Hall) This means that:

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1) The local people are significant entity in complex urban habitat and their participation in decisions regarding dealing with urban wastelands need to be taken into consideration.

2) The idea to preserve natural successional processes and carefully modify with minimal interference into the wasteland sites can obsolete the visual as well as experiential qualities of urban environment.

3) The insertion of consciously designed landscape features, such as pathways, facilitates their use by people, thereby generating political support for their preservation. (Hall) The ecological value is abundant at urban wastelands but are as risk due to negligence and due to increase in urbanisation, there is a necessity for environmental and social places which preserve and sustain these biodiverse places. In the context of compact urbanised areas, there is found to be negative impact on biodiversity in cities which is grabbing interest for researchers to look at broader perspective for new nuances for green infrastructure and biodiversity zones.

Though people only consider green infrastructure in parks, forests and gardens, the informal green spaces present in wastelands get sidelined. They are not considered in development of new buildings and projects. According to (Marion Brun), they can provide with varied ecosystem services and promote the biodiversity in the city scale through various environmental and time period conditions. Even in social life of people living in the area surrounded by such sites, they provide people with opportunity to be with nature and generate sense of belonging towards nature. The research by (Marion Brun) was to have clarity in understanding perceptions of local people about wastelands in city centres of France. The notion regarding urban wastelands were found to be both positive as well as negative and it is required in order to evaluate how wastelands are utilized or how can they be utilized to activate them to their fullest potential with support of people. The surveys were conducted and the realization and awareness were introduced towards their potential and impacts of conserving biodiversity in urban wastelands. The valuation of urban wastelands depends upon time period and location from city centre and people perception. The research brought different viewpoints under one roof and the everyday usage importance of urban wastelands. The regular maintenance and people’s active participation can help improve quality of life in neighbourhood as well as in the people’s lives.

Can urban wastelands promote urban biodiversity in cities?

The world’s most non- native species are spread in the cities context and the urban areas are observed to contain high species of vascular plants and animal groups

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due to high beta-diversity which is there is considerable amount of variety in vertical and habitat structure, types and intensity in usage of land, and wide range of varied habitat and mosaic configurations. The peculiarity in physical and socio- ecological orders found in urban context because of non-native and varied species of plants and animals exist and influence of people in the communities results in formation of distinct landscapes and soil conditions where rare nonnative species flourish. The ruderal flora and fauna found in urban wastelands or brownfield sites is supposed to be authentic and regional to that place only. Thus, it creates unique habitat for rare species which can dwell in those conditions only. The spontaneous rich vegetation found in urban wastelands which is treated as informal green space, adds value to quality of life to the neighborhood and stimulate species richness and healthy ecosystem. (Norbert Muller) Ecological provisions such as enhancement in microclimatic conditions, soil erosion, air quality improvement by urban wastelands create ample opportunities which requires awareness and care.

One point which remains crucial is experiencing nature in urban areas which remains limited due to development in physical structures. The more people remain closer to nature, the more likely it is for them to be aware of bio-diversity importance.

The point which author Rudiger Wittig makes is regarding the rare species are important not only locally but for global biodiversity to suffice as well. The urban areas comprise of these rich species variety and peculiarity and thus requires more time and attention. The reason why urban wastelands and brownfield sites are able to have rich species of biodiversity and heterogenous properties is the absence of human interference for long time which is why different species can colonize and prosper in full swing.

The floristic biodiversity observed in former industrial sites is homogenous firmly. The irregular management and ill maintenance of urban wastelands causes various plant populations and harbor exotic plants as well. In terms of bees which depict species richness in a region, urban habitats prove beneficial for them and abundance of flowering plants present in urban wastelands help in their growth. The feature of permeable soil which doesn’t has vegetation, this helps in good nesting sites for numerous species. Another type of species found in abundance are species which do not require water and can suffice in hot climates. The urban wastelands comprise of such harsh climatic controlled species and hence support natural bee resources. (Lucyna Twerd) It is fundamental for people to recognize the importance and have empathy as well as feeling of responsibility towards protecting nature and bio-diversity which is inculcated only through experiencing the nature and environment not only visually but also physically. The encounter with nature doesn’t need to be digital or virtual but a physical engagement and thus learning from nature by being in nature is crucial for overall development also. (Norbert Muller) The congruence of bio-

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diversity and humans is one of critical solutions for embracing nature and protecting bio-diversity. The expansion of infrastructure and technological advancements and increase in transportation networks because of increasing users has resulted in compact urban spaces with no space for recreation for the many communities. The environmental education and nature knowledge are not weekend learning but requires daily understanding and maintenance regularly. The open or recreational green spaces need to be designed for people as well as help enrich species richness and biodiversity potential. The urban wastelands prove to be beneficial for species richness and can be managed and also help in understanding biodiversity lessons and proper maintenance and management can help boom the economy as well as well-being of local people. These sites can provoke innovative spatial and healthy activity spaces and can help in ecological regeneration of the place and help in urban ecological systems.

In recent times, there have been varied research on the subject and one of the articles by Bio Intelligence Services, (Bio Intelligence service) , the French researchers tried to resolve the role played by urban structure in organization of wastelands and the floral diversity in urban realm. The idea was to focus on certain wastelands which ranges in areas in Paris region and the evaluation was done based on three specific factors: The number of species present in the context, the frequency of occurrence of rare species and their proportion with respect to common species.

The research shows that urban wastelands have profound proportion of floristic diversity and the researchers also found 60% of Bio-diversity in urban context were found in urban wastelands placed in various neighborhoods. The time period and no. of ages of abandonment or under-utilization plays vital role in species richness and also the higher number of species found in urban wastelands as these sites allow evolution to take place in floral species and other rare species as well and they remain out of the contact of humans or less contact and there are many species which colonize such sites. Acting as biodiversity pool, urban wastelands also have an impact on biodiversity of neighborhood and help create balance in urban context. The environment of the area and geomorphology do not hold much importance in floral biodiversity and thus ecological degraded portions of urban wastelands cannot be considered insignificant in bio-diversity discussion. The inferred idea is that these urban wastelands do promote the dynamics of bio-diversity and hence require careful attention and management which can help in considering urban wastelands as potential to be utilized in upcoming land use policies.

3.2I URBAN WASTELANDS – A BIO-DIVERSITY RESERVE? 40

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THE ECOLOGICAL AND BIODIVERSITY VALUE IN URBAN WASTELANDS

Figure 15:The diagram shows various factors which affect the cities ecosystem and have adverse effect on the bio-diversity due to anthropogenic activities and dense urbanization and industrialization

Cities and the urban ecosystems have apparently been always been in hustle pace of development and one cannot forbid the transformations we have seen across short period of 20 years and so on in urban context. The cities in terms of connectivity networks, economic driven and socially diverse and has observed the unpredictable changes in last twenty years and post -Industrial period. The changing economy, changing lifestyle and policies differences have accelerated the pace of development and demographics which increased this course of time are corresponding to transforming city structure. The new technological advancements and products and also changing global lifestyles has made huge impact in the cities which are emerging as developed cities in India, and this has proceeded into changing land-use patterns.

(Anna Gałecka-Drozda)

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Our generation—I was born in 1967—has very clear memories of our childhood, which today’s youth don’t have, because they no longer have the open spaces and wild nature of the terrain vague. — Community activist in Mantes-la-jolie,ˆ Ile-de-France

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Figure 16: The various urban wasteland sites and high levels of thick vegetation observed

It is the change in perspectives and mindsets which inspires the artists, conservationists, environmentalists and designers the most regarding the unattended sites and the spontaneous natural elements which changes the conversation of it’s perception as it cannot serve any purpose to a beautiful place for biodiversity to flourish. The natural succession that happens on urban wastelands changes the urban landscape structure as well. The perception of visually appealing in contrast to highly developed areas helps in improving it’s image in positive manner in minds of residents across the site. The emphasis which is vital is the amount of green vegetation and species which exists on these areas and how they strengthen urban ecology of the entire city. (Anna Gałecka-Drozda) These sites become Bio- veins of the city and contribute to lower down climatic changes, urban heat island effect in cities and help in reducing intense air pollution due to high amount of road transportation network and automobiles. The sense of marginal nature transcends us to imaginary forested environment and become places for experimentation and adventure in urban realm. (M. Gandy) . The urban wastelands located in dense urban areas offer as indicators of shifting green contours of urban landscape. The hotspots for biodiversity and natural reserves where rarest species flourish and illustrate homes for striking wildlife, flora and fauna are found to be in the urban wastelands left open to interpretation to people as well as biotic elements.

The urban ecology is based upon crucial biotic and abiotic elements and their relationships in an environment which helps urban tissue to suffice. The urban

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ecology has dependence on human activities due to majority dominance seen is of humans. Thus, anthropogenic activities play vital role in sustaining urban ecology of cities. The urban wastelands are now becoming recognized as ecological infrastructure in the city and also to combat climatic uncertainties which are causing disruption in daily lives of numerous people. (M. Gandy). The green infrastructure which we claim to be only limited to parks, gardens are not the only places for vegetation to exist. The cultural values of urban wastelands can be realized as spots for urban wilderness. The places can be another form of recreational space which is not limited to perception of parks but also become a place for urban commons as set out in the classic exposition by the Sheffield based ecologist and lichenologist Oliver Gilbert. (M. Gandy)

Haid(2011) brought into notice in reference to urban wastelands that the urban wastelands are habitats for wildlife to thrive and promote variety of species and flora and hence develop sense of conscious development and make cities ecologically sustainable and place to enhance biodiversity. The issues as usually arise with such urban wastelands at the front door itself is their imperfection and ill maintained visual imagery which is opposed and capitalism is key perspective which demotivates people to observe in more detail. As Barr (1969: 14) states, ‘To most of us ‘derelict land’ means virtually any land which is ugly or unattractive in appearance’.

Urban wastelands in case of shrinking cities provide green corridors with enhancement of spaces around its context and become informal recreational places or places for spontaneous vegetation to prosper. The concept of urban wilderness needs to be promoted and the valuation of urban wastelands should be recognized as true nature which requires respect and empathy towards them in public realm. (Rink) The shrinking cities and their revival have many factors one of which is urban wastelands which can be utilized in order to attract and invest in such places and demographics change so that emigration doesn’t happen more and it can become part of social and cultural development in urban context. The extent of wastelands with essential spontaneous vegetation with shrinking process of the cities can bring paradigm shift in urban planning policies and create opportunities to appropriate the wastelands of urban context in organized manner. The urban wilderness provides as place to explore various types of perception towards urban nature. Henne (Rink) recommends that the new urban green infrastructure found in the urban wastelands should also be designed urban wilderness hotspots to avoid vandalism and illegal activities. The wild forested features urban wastelands offer, they need to be maintained and designed with minimal interventions as places where people can experience nature. (Rink) These sites can provide spaces for experiments and experience which does not become burden on governments and promote ecological restoration places in cities. The abandoned industrial and

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demolished areas show highest proportion of spontaneous and varied vegetation and rare animal species. (Rink) The nature which feels as signage for engaging with nature in cities, deals with issues of acceptance and perception. The biodiversity remarked as signs of decline in shrinking cities becomes a concern and increase in natural elements in certain areas is sighted as negative and there is decrease in investments and thus wastelands in urban context project decline and deteriorate than certain chance to be with nature in cities. The shrinking cities and their image and adverse visualisation of these sites do not bring faith in people’s minds. It requires government support and investors action to be able to show the value of urban wastelands and transforming them or even re-appropriation to certain extent with minimum interference might turn out to become asset than to lose natural habitats in cities. The changes in urban landscapes will allow aesthetically and ecologically strong scenarios and will encourage prosperity even in perceived insecure areas.

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4.1 I URBAN WASTELANDS IN CONTEXT OF THANE CITY

Figure 17: Thane city

Thane city is metropolitan city which is spread across an area of 147 sq. km and is 19 km inland, on the west coast of India. Topographically Thane is separated from the mainland by the Ulhas estuary and the Thane creek and it is connected through reclaimed land with the island city of Mumbai. Because of the topography, there are many lakes in and around the city. The city is known for its lakes and has around 30 lakes within city limits. Thane city is surrounded by Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Yeoor hills to the west and mangroves of Thane creek to the east.

Natural Features of Thane city: •

Latitude and Longitude: 19° 12’ N and 72° 58’ E

•

Altitude (from mean sea level): 7m

•

Terrain: High hills towards west and submersible marsh land along the Thane creek on south east side and Ulhas river at the North

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•

Climate- Hot and humid, Tropical

•

Annual average rainfall- 2500 mm

•

Maximum temperature and minimum temperature – 35 0 C and 250 C.

•

(TMC)

Graphics – Maps – 4

Land use of Thane city•

Major land use category in TMC is under forest and green zone. They together occupy 52% of the total within administrative boundaries. This distribution is as proposed in DP for Thane.

•

Mangroves also fall under the green zone. As per DP, the key features of land use pattern in Thane are as follows:

•

Total area under corporation – 12,823 Ha

•

Developable zone – 5930 Ha

•

Non- developable zone – 3682 Ha

•

Green zone – 3211 Ha

•

Green zone includes 28 sq. km. of forest area, 10 sq. km. of mangroves, 40 area and 10.72 km of tree green cover. (TMC) Graph:

Green zone

Forest

Residential

Road

Reservation

Defence

Industrial

Figure 18: Landuse of Thane as per Environmental Report

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Figure 19: Map showing Terrain variation in Thane city

(Manisha Pradhan)

Fig . – Existing Land-Use Map of Thane city Figure 20: Existing Land use Map by MMRDA

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Fig . –Proposed Land-Use Map of 2036 of Thane city Figure 21: Proposed Land use Map of 2036 of Thane city

The maps by MMRDA showcase land- uses which include Wastelands as scrublands and in the proposed Land- use of 2036, it shows that these wasteland sites in urban context are “urbanisable zones” and are being taken into consideration to change them for urbanisation than the recreational green spaces and dense urbanisation will affect the ecosystem of Thane city.

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•

Thane administrative boundaries limits149sq.km

•

Thane city is spread across an area of 147 sq. km and is 19 km inland, on the west

coast of India.

•

Geographically, Thane city is surrounded by Yeoor hills on its east along with huge stretch of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and

Figure 22: The cities around Thane city thus showing contextual importance

Thane creek situated along its southern part.

•

Thane creek , Ulhas river and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park are the important natural boundaries in Thane city and contribute to rich biodiversity of the city.

• Figure 23: The ecological systems present in Thane city

Ulhas river extents-122 sqkm

•

Thane creek extents17 sq km

•

SGNP extents- 87 km²

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Location of Lakes: •

Lakes act as an important part of Thane’s water bodies system and there are around 30 lakes in the city.

•

In recent years, they have started to detoriate and some are even closed and some have dried due

to which ecology is disturbed.

•

Natural features provide us with recreational and

Figure 24: The city of Lakes - Thane city - Map showing presence of 30 Lakes in city's context

engagement spaces which are required in order to sustain in any lifestyle.

•

Thane city has been covered with abundance of green covered land which saw rise in urbanization to extents that more real estates are looking at these natural edge lands in order to provide more quality of life at the cost of natural resources which are

getting depleted.

• Figure 25: Green recreational space in Thane city

The industrial belts in Areas of creek as well as river and SGNP has lead to growth but also development of large no. of slums around them.

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4.2 I HISTORY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN THANE CITY The cities and urban development in postindustrial era and post- Independence in India brought up dynamic changes in the settlement patterns across the country.

The main factors for recognizing the country as developed countries was the idea of urbanization and globalization. The industries across the country were built rapidly in order to increase mass production and increase productivity and quantity which had impact on lifestyles and globally urbanization became of prime importance. In India, one of most important ports and industrial areas was Mumbai, which was symbolic across the surrounding towns and districts. The urban patterns saw rapid urban development in Maharashtra which saw dense settlement patterns across the city and around the industries for the workers. Mumbai saw increase in people coming in from various states in order to settle into financial capital which thus made it denser and more compact in terms of urban settlement pattern. The adjoining districts Thane and Raigad witnessed rapid urbanization growth due to its proximity to Mumbai. (Deshmukh)

Figure 26: Urbanisation impacts in few decades as observed through aerial images in Thane city

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Source: https://qz.com/india/1065455/satellite-photos-reveal-how-mumbai-killed-itsrivers-and-mangrove-forests-to-risk-epic-floods/ Urbanization impacts as seen in the 30 years shows harm on natural environment at larger scale in Thane city and neighboring cities.

Figure 27: Old Thane city

Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a5/d7/31/a5d731924684ac72e6103fce91761af4.jpg

Thane city in colonial era was a major district administrative town which further developed into industrialized town and then due to it’s proximity to Mumbai city and natural ecology which exists at the peripheries, it became more significant and urbanization rates highly increased in Thane city. The districts of Maharashtra not only vary in the level of urbanization but they vary in the speed of urbanization i.e., the annual change in the level of urbanization. In Thane and Raigad, the speed of urbanization was very high as compare to the other districts. The demographic profile of Thane shows continuous growth in the population of the district which mainly attributes to the industrial, commercial, administrative and strategic

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development of the district by being proximate to Mumbai city. The overall economy is versatile and the district does not have a pre-dominant economic base.

The urbanization process and the growth pattern of Maharashtra clearly indicate the application of the 'Central Place Theory'. (Deshmukh) Urbanization is highly concentrated around the places of historic significance. While understanding demographics of a particular place, the population and compact urban densification is observed more in central areas than the peripheries. This observation did not imply in context of Thane city. The variation seen was that the old city which grew in the areas closer to station started to decline and dense urban centers were nuclear in nature with their location at the peripheries. The central areas are observed less compact than the edges and due to natural ecological spaces located at the edges of the city fabric, the real estate development and industries are observed at the marginal edges and this not only is causing the old city to degradation but also impacting the natural ecology of the city which is Thane creek and Yeoor hills. The urban development of the city grew from transportation system network and then to the peripheries. But due to more developments happening at the peripheries where natural systems are situated and the economical affordability which are provided, this is leading to migration at the peripheries leading to dereliction and decay in fabric of old city of Thane.

The old city of Thane had good influence of rich culture and traditions and was known for Gaothan communities and different communities had different localities and thus culture could thrive. These communities are gradually also losing their essence due to migration happening at the peripheries and thus there is increase in derelict spaces in these older areas with low economical gain. It not only reduces sense of belonging in the older areas it also shows neglect towards these spaces. It makes it more prone to dereliction and less communal oriented spaces across the older regions. The identity of Thane city is it’s rich culture and natural ecological features and the city is also known by large no. of lakes which exist and is spread across the urban context. The older regions of the city are facing issues of desertion and dilapidated conditions of old structures which has compelled many people to stay to shift as well. The former industries have seen numerous derelict spaces which endure and expose the reality of the negligence and these spaces are turning into dumping yards and places for inactivity and also illegal activities.

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Figure 28: Present condition of abandoned industries present in Thane city

Source: Author The industries which shut down apparently due to shift to cheaper places beyond the city has thus prompted in dilapidated state of these structures which are improbable for decades and are perceived as eyesore for the city. They are perceived as spaces with no value and have become liability in an urban fabric.

These sites are thus getting converted into urban wastelands which have been degraded ecologically and serving no purpose to the community. Thus, these sites are being formed due to rapid urbanization and unplanned urban development in Thane city. There are less no. of recreational facilities and green infrastructure which is remaining in the context of urban realm of Thane and less no. of social publicoriented spaces left and more privately owned infrastructure is paving way as modern means for interaction and Malls and shopping centers have emerged in the urban context leading way to dense concretization and congested environment.

Thus, the decreasing natural features of the city and rich cultural values are losing their objectives in sustaining the city life. It is becoming more economically driven approach than the holistic sustainable approach. The sites which have emerged in

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the context of Thane city not only are mirrors of the society, but are also expressing major concerns for the future development of the city.

4.3 I CLASSIFICATION OF URBAN WASTELANDS IN CONTEXT OF THANE CITY Urban wastelands have always been characteristic feature of urban landscapes and they express disturbing unorganized planning schemes and also deteriorated abandoned structure current condition across the city. Thane city, situated at the edge of Mumbai city has noticed accelerated rate of urbanisation and also came across as prime auxiliary towns on which Mumbai city sustains. Thane city has two national highways and has played significant role in uplifting the financial capital Mumbai and also connecting Navi Mumbai and Mumbai initially and one of busiest railway junctions across Maharashtra. The city has been ecologically rich due to the presence of lakes, creeks and hills across the edges but since the industries at creek area and real estate development across the edge lands and near the natural ecological places, the condition has been subjected to major pollution and waste disposal problems. The rise in places which were either government owned and designated for government purposes for several years and forced to remain shut for decades across the city, are creating places with illegal activities or serving as dump yards which is leading to ecological degradation of sites or prone to be perceived as wastelands in urban context.

The several categories are under the scope of the research are studied in context of Thane city and on basis of observation. The book Terrain Vague, the author Patrick Baron refers Terrain Vague as sites which do not particularly attract attention but rather are mirrors of the society around it and the city, containers of fragmented history and memories of the past. Terrain Vague are areas of everyday which where the small natural vegetated lands exist. The examples of San Francisco are conversed with idea of buildings being built like objects and an environment for people and city seen as silhouettes. These sites serving no purpose in neighbourhood scale are explored to develop new perspectives of architecture and improve socio- economic diversity in the scale of neighbourhood. The factors such as Physical, Biological and social characteristics will provide a useful way to assess to provide value to such spaces.

The studies have differentiated these sites as - 4 types of sites 3

Post-industrial sites

4

Derelict sites

5

Unattended with vegetation sites

6

Natural sites

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One of the key reasons the urban wastelands need to be categorically understood is to recognize them and their reasons in organised manner in different context. The crucial understanding of time and place hold paramount to comprehend the classification of urban wastelands and helps us understand their background corresponding to the question of root cause of their existence. The no. of years it has grown to become urban wastelands also helps in understanding that even if policies change, they are not strong enough to change perception across the developed cities as well. Thane city has observed quick increase in urbanisation rates, but there are factors which dominate the conditions which prevail in the land ownership and create a negative mindset into people living across these places.

The classification is done based on time period and the temporary usage qualities of the spaces and the ground quality conditions and the nature of these sites which make them what they are perceived as in current scenario. The identification is done based on observations and the sites which were designated for government purposes or privately owned but due to physical presence were witnessed to become garbage places and places where either homeless people survive in temporary homes or places which have been abandoned for period of 20 years or more.

The differentiation of the sites through observation are as follows: • • • • • • •

Sites with thick spontaneous vegetation and government owned Sites with thick spontaneous vegetation and privately owned which are illegally used Abandoned demolished sites Abandoned private industrial sites Abandoned structures closed due to ownership issues Landfill sites Brownfield sites

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Figure 29: Classification of Urban wastelands in Thane city

The differentiation reveals distinct narratives of each site and the area which is surrounded by these sites. The psychological and philosophical attitude continue to create obstructive views and hence proceed with this pessimistic image formation in minds of people residing and travelling besides such sites. There is no effort put forward by the politicians to identify the rising no. of befallen industrial sites and contraction and shrinkage which signal and bring up in light the harsh realities of contemporary Indian cities. The transformation and vision for cities not only in Thane, but all over India has often only perceived in utopian fantastical images, what is always missing and hidden is the situations of dereliction and urban ruins which also project certain truths which cannot be bypassed for future generations. The urban wastelands and various categories present different issues which the different categories deal with and hence help in precise understanding the urban wastelands.

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5.1 I STUDIES OF URBAN WASTELANDS SITES IN CONTEXT OF THANE CITY THROUGH MULTIPLE LENS The research was conducted through site visits and observational studies have been presented in concise manner to understand the order of the places. The studies were done in order to comprehend precisely the emergence and current situations of the site and the varied perceptions of the users and temporal activities in the urban context.

There were many sites around 14 which were identified and observed in context of Thane city and from which 5 case studies were chosen to be studied varying in sizes and shapes located across the urban areas of Thane in order to understand the connection of wastelands and perception across the city extents through observations and asking people across the site to understand their point of view who utilize the site by any means.

The sites which come under the categories of Urban wastelands are as follows:

Figure 30: Documented wasteland sites in Thane city in observational scope

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` The following above figure shows the identified sites in context of Thane city and few case studies selected on basis of various categories of urban wastelands to understand different contexts in the urban realm.

Source: Author

The five case studies are presented with in- depth analysis of perception and experiential qualities of the site and help us understand the natural features which represent narrative of bio-diversity and ecology in urban areas.

Site 1: • Sites with thick spontaneous vegetation and government owned 1) The site situated at the edge of Thane railway station

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Source: Author •

Site 2: Abandoned private demolished and industrial sites

2) Site situated in industrial area of Thane city

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Source: Author

3) Site 3: Abandoned structure situated in immediate context of Thane creek

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Source: Author

4) Site 4: Industrial wasteland Site situated in edge of Thane city

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5) Site 5: Temporary scrapyard- Dump yard situated at the edge of Thane creek

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Source: Author

The different types of wastelands which are identified in context of Thane city present various scenarios of urban decay and different types of usage and elements of social isolation and are perceived negatively due to scenarios of insecurity, and social neglect. They bring in varied perspectives in different parts of the city from the edges to central portions in city extents. Though perceived as dangerous spots and illegal activities which happen around these sites, they are also rich in terms of species variety and thick plantations and spontaneous vegetation of various kinds are observed, and the quality of rich bio-diversity is seen and through spatial experiences, it also makes one feel closer to nature and quieter, good microclimate gives it calmer and peaceful environment. The context of dense urban areas to neglected portions of cities itself, the richness in variety of biotic elements cannot be avoided and it needs to be regulated and managed to become socially accepted and ecologically stable as well.

5.2I Comparative assessment of the case studies in context of Thane city The case studies of urban wastelands which are analyzed showcase variety of questions and interesting features are observed in different context of the various sites. There are certain positives and negatives in each site and it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood thus bringing in importance of context in urban realm. The comparative assessment makes us point out whether the sites truly show bio-diversity potential and the reasons behind the most bio-diverse sites in concept of Urban wastelands in Thane city.

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Sites/ Location Context

Present status

Time Possible period of reasons dereliction/ Unused

Site 1

Situated 6 m away from Railway station

Demolished and fenced

2 years ago,

Due to the location which remains unused and has been abandoned for many years now, the structure must have been demolished due to weakening in structural members.

20%

Site 2

Hazardous Industrial area

Demolished and fenced, illegal activities take place

30- 40 years

The industries majorly were closed due to shift in location to nearby Tier 2 cities

70%

Site 3

Edge of Thane creek and Eastern Express Highway

Abandoned structure, vandalism activities observed

10 years

It was built for the public utility purpose for the neighborhood but due to newer advanced technology, it got shut down.

70%

Site 4

Edge of Thane city towards Mulund

Abandoned industry, illegal settlements are observed, accessible

30 years

It was mattress Industry which got shut down due to shift of industry in other location

80%

Site 5

Edge of Thane creek

Temporary car scrapyard, used for truck parking

The site is situated at the edge of Thane creek with increased salinity, and Jail located next to the site. The site

80%

Remains Unused

Percentage of vegetation and different species on site

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Thus, through various comparative assessment regarding five case studies, it is observed that all the sites present scenario of presence of variety and species of various kinds and presence of thick vegetation which is vital for various insects, creatures and bird to suffice in urban realm. These sites provide important catchment areas for green spaces to exist of different kinds due to majorly being low in terms of interference from anthropogenic activities and thus assist the variety of flora, fauna and plants to thrive and flourish in extremes. It is also observed that in certain case studies where there are even structures built but remain unused and illmaintained for really long time, the algae and fungus start appearing and many creepers and species which can thrive without water are observed. Thus, these sites which have been not maintained for many years and remain vacant for long period of time, the most species are present in that area and thick spontaneous vegetation which doesn’t require long time to grow are spotted and thus Wild nature exists in these sites. For biotic elements to suffice, these places become home to rich wildlife and birds where an ecosystem remains intact in these sites.

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6I CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 I R-URBAN PROJECT

Figure 31: Axonometric view showing programs in the case study

Source: http://www.urbantactics.org/projects/rurban/rurban.html

Paris, the city known for its historical and monumental significance, has many certain natural features but the issues in neighborhood context is observed by the community living there.

The following case study is in Colombes suburban town and one of the neighborhoods. It is mainly an industrial suburb. Colombes is a suburban town, less than 11 km from Paris center, to the northwest.

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But the natural resources are getting extensively used for urbanization leading to loss of communal spaces and majorly due to less agricultural production, there are a greater number of exported products which is not unsustainable in nature.

Ecosystems exist in not only in the production of food and resources but in the generation of services and products that unite similar community projects and practices. It is a participative strategy of development, practices and networks of local resilience for European cities.

BENEFICIARIES: Atelier architecture Autogérée TYPE OF ORGANISATION: NGO-Foundation DESCRIPTION: L’Atelier d’Architecture Autogérée (AAA) is a non-profit multidisciplinary platform for action and research around urban ecology and urban civic practices. It is a specialist in participative ecological architecture and bottomup processes of urban governance.

PARTNERS: Mairie de Colombes, France Public works London, United Kingdom YEAR: 2016 SITE AREA: 1400 sqm

Figure 32: Before vs after the proposal

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Figure 33: Connecting people through programs and reducing ecological and social issues through community engagement

Source: https://www.architectureindevelopment.org/project.php?id=463#!prettyPhoto

Figure 34: Neighbourhood issues tackled through community oriented programs

Source: https://www.architectureindevelopment.org/project.php?id=463#!prettyPhoto

Introduction to the project proposal concept: The proposal idea of the project by AAA was to focus on strategic development in urban fabric and aim to bring social, ecological and economical change through programs in order of local people in the neighbourhood scale. The idea was to

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create opportunities for local people in the sites which have remained vacant or interstitial in the locality which becomes a catalyst to engage people in local context. In order to generate economy with local urban issues faced across the neighbourhood and integrate systems which will boost local economy and reduce global issues of urban waste and mitigate issues of fresh and healthy food, the sustainable model introducing programs of such issues were proposed. Rather than being top- down approach observed in urban planning, an approach of bottom up was used which helped to realize critical issues faced by the people surrounding the context and promote healthy physical as well as social life.

It brought in the idea of collaboration with the municipality and other local organizations which helped build the project in a holistic manner. The proposal included three pilot cases:

PROGRAMS:

Figure 35: Agrocite- A schematic facility provided for sustainable food production in Neighbourhood of Paris

Source: https://www.publicspace.org/works/-/project/j281-r-urban-network-of-urbancommons

AgroCité – The proposal is to have an urban agricultural unit which consists of experimental micro urban farm, community gardens, spaces for research,

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composting units and rainwater collection. It is to experiment with idea of urban farming and promote idea of sustainable food production and consumption.

Figure 36: Recyclab- A proposed facility for reducing Urban waste to reach landfills and hence promoting ecological sustainability

Source: https://www.publicspace.org/works/-/project/j281-r-urban-network-of-urbancommons

Recyclab The second part of the sustainable network is a recycling center which explores different materials, specifically for ecological building methods. The building itself consists of separate spaces which include; collection points for materials, recycle and reuse workshops, eco-building analysis, meeting spaces, repair cafe and the ‘LABFab’ which provides advice on technology.

The local people experiment and utilize waste products or local furniture products, and use them for community benefit, thus reusing these waste disposals.

It also economically helps the local bodies while being environmentally sustainable.

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Figure 37: Photos of the proposed functions showing community engagement in Recyclab

Source: https://www.publicspace.org/works/-/project/j281-r-urban-network-of-urbancommons

ECoHab - Residential, cooperative and ecological unit made up of a number of experimental dwellings and collective spaces, partly self-built. This unit, projected in the initial R-Urban Colombes strategy, was however not implemented.

Thus, this case study indicates the strength of the unused urban plots and how through a strong public oriented program, this can become extremely beneficial for boosting social and economic issues and help in seeking knowledge through providing a platform where people can learn from each other and strengthen the communities and activate urban sphere.

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CASE STUDY 2 I ECOPOLIS PLAZA Client: Municipality of Rivas Vaciamadrid Year of completion: 2009 Program: Energy efficient kindergarten and new public space Building floor Area: 3,000 sqm Public space: 7,500 sqm Architects: ecosistema urbano – Belinda Tato, Jose Luis Vallejo

Figure 38: Ecopolis Plaza serving the neighbourhood and activating the urban wasteland

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/111143/ecopolis-plaza-ecosistema-urbano

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Figure 39: Conceptual sketches by the Architect

The initial sketches of the Architect speak about the process of redefining wastelands through various sketches explaining modifications which brough in social interaction and the context responded to the needs of the neighbourhood people.

Source: https://ecosistemaurbano.com/plaza-ecopolis/

Figure 40: Conceptual scheme of the proposal

The conceptual sketches of the final output of the proposal in form of hand- done sketches.

Source: https://ecosistemaurbano.com/plaza-ecopolis/

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Figure 41: Axonometric view of proposal

Source: https://ecosistemaurbano.com/plaza-ecopolis/

The above isometric showcases different layers of energy efficient systems used throughout the project in order to project idea of social and environmental sustainability and imparts knowledge of recycling through use of plants which can be reused as well. The lower floors are half buried down for better drainage and various activities of playground, slides and hardscapes indulging in experiences with natural elements.

The case study looks at transformation of a vacant site in Madrid’s urban sprawl, surrounded by industry and heavy traffic transportation infrastructures, into a public space for social interaction providing a building for childcare. The programs include a kindergarten and public spaces with water treatment system thus looking at regenerative approach.

The building skin is built of Steel frame with monochromatic theme. The shading provided by this primary skin passively controls the microclimate of the interior extending out to the square, the truss element becomes the infrastructure for the outdoor playground equipment.

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Figure 42: Architectural site plan of Ecopolis Plaza

Source: https://ecosistemaurbano.com/plaza-ecopolis/

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Figure 44: Architectural section showing scheme of the program

The intent is to create vision of urban sustainability and focus on reduction of consumption and production of energy through ecological approach and promoting the awareness towards ecology in cities. The site is old abandoned heavily toxic industrialized site used to invoke sustainable solutions.

The treatment of wastewater and residual water is done through recycling using bioremediation and the purified water is stored under gravel tank which also contains riverbank along with artificial landscape. This helps in uplifting the ecological degradation of the site and actively involve children and people of all age groups in the program.

The strategies which help in micro-climatic conditions include one of the areas which is half buried to take advantage of land’s geothermal power and another strategy is to use glass facades facing south to gain proper heat gain. A bioclimatic sustainability which helps people to engage in wasteland sites and also gain knowledge on textile layer superimposed over a light steel structure is wrapping the rational concrete core of the building. This textile (partially movable, connected with sensors to sun position) is the interface between interior and exterior spaces, blurring the boundaries between private and public and extending the inner comfort to the public space.

Figure 45: Water depuration system helping water usage in the neigbourhood thus showcasing regenerative approach

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Figure 46: Softscapes and hardscapes used in the water depurtion system

Source: https://ecosistemaurbano.com/plaza-ecopolis/

Figure 47: Use of recyclable steel and use of color schemes enhancing the spaces

Source: https://www.archdaily.com/111143/ecopolis-plaza-ecosistema-urbano

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’ Figure 48: Public Plaza promoting idea of social sustainability

This case study was done in order to understand the various technologies and enhancement of wasteland sites for public purpose. The learnings from the case study are the eco-sensitive materials, the programs and the users chosen for the program play an important role towards awareness about ecology and self-sufficient energy systems and usage of certain interventions such as wastewater and elements of building services can be enhancing which can add value to the neighborhood. The dramatic use of recreational spaces and playful features of intervention can activate use of site which is seen as negative in the neighborhood. Thus, children of the neighborhood learn through playful landscapes and it adds character to the space.

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CASE STUDY 3 I AZULIK UH MAY Site Location: Tulum, Mexico Architects: Roth-Architecture Year: 2018

Figure 49: Aerial image of the magnificent structure in Yatican Jungle

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/azulik-uh-may-art-center-tulum-mexico-11-20-2018/

This magnificent structure is built in Tulum,Mexico is an arts center as part of the EcoFriendly luxury resort which includes flexible art space, a fashion and design lab, an arts and crafts school, a recording studio, and residencies for creative individuals.This structure was built by Ar. Eduaro Neira , a painter, a sculptor and an Architect who brought in the thought of designing a structure for future by juxtaposing the healing principles of Mayan community with Organic Architecture.

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` The aim of the case study looks at ecological and creative approach of the structure and how the structure is surrounded within nature in its purest form. The idea of generating spaces which assists in nature being focus of the entire project.

Materials used are local wood which is Jiles and Bejuco and the structure is wrapped around these trees and no trees were cut for building this structure.

The local Mayan artisans are involved in the making of this structure and this structure enhances the locality immersed in dense forest zones and improves the quality of life for the community and tourists. It promotes idea of economical sustainability and boosts economy of local people.

Spatial quality of the space: As one wanders and engages in the structure , one observes the intricate details of when polished concrete meets vines of Bejuca wood, lightness in the structure is felt, the camouflage of the furniture with the flooring, the sculptural bridge, the trees which emerge from the walls and connect to designed roof giving space to the trees to grow more and topped by the bejuco and concrete dome which seems like flower covering the structure, the curvy paths which descend us to imaginative and spirituality of the space and connect us with nature. Thus, this structure portrays amalgamation of sculptural quality of a space and co-existence with nature while being sensitive towards context it is designed in.

Figure 50: The image showing sculptural concrete form which is wrapped around the trees and portraying no trees have been cut during the designing this structure.

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Figure 51: The camouflage of furniture with the space and amalgamation of concrete and bejuca leaves.

Figure 52: The voids created at the ceiling to let trees grow higher and preserving nature in creative manner.

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Figure 53: Floatinf bridges connecting humans to natural immersive experience in the structure.

The case study invokes reconnecting with nature with fluid forms and forms inspired from nature and generates immersive experience throughout the journey in the structure. It builds a narrative which is sustainable, social and creative in its approach right from the construction of the built form. The program of arts centre helps in recreating spaces where creativity can boost the most- Nature.

The ecological approach of creating space with no harm to nature and being in cradle of Nature is one of most striking features of the project. The project inference is how in eco-sensitive manner can structures be built with nature and without imposition from humans.

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7.1I CRITERIA FOR SITE SELECTION •

The research aims at re-activating urban wastelands and fostering ecological and urban bio-diversity through wasteland sites, thus re-imagining in context of Thane city. Hence, the following criteria has been chosen to maximise the potential in these urban wasteland sites which are as followsSites with higher levels of ecological degradation

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Sites which have been near rich ecological entities i.e. Thane creek, Ulhas river or Yeoor Hills in context of Thane city which is getting affected adversely due to industrialisation and illegal dumping of waste on these natural ecological elements.

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Sites which have been overlooked remain unchanged in land use proposal of Thane city.

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Site which is located near the centre of the city and near the edges so people from all over the city are able to access the program.

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Figure 54: DP Thane 2034

A) The chosen site is reserved government site designated for public and general residential development situated at the edge of Thane creek which is ecologically sensitive natural entity.

Current status of the site: The site is currently used for temporary police station for Rabodi neighbourhood and houses car scrapyard and temporary dump yard and the site is isolated and has been unused as it is designated under Government purpose use.

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Reasons and scope of the project: The site has negative imagery by the residents surrounded besides the site and the immediate context which is A central Jail brings another insecurity mindset in people’s mind. The site also has been perceived negatively in terms of security due to no places of social and public order in the vicinity and lack of basic facilities in this area brings out security issues and becomes as eyesore in the city.

The site immediate context also includes Kalwa Bridge which is actively used by many people which connects Thane to Navi Mumbai and is an important transportation node for lakhs of people daily. Thane creek has been on long run being used for dumping all kinds of waste and it has impacted creek ecology in worst manner. The site is situated at the edges of Thane creek and thus faces issues of dumping and storing huge heaps of urban waste. There is no scientific landfill situated in context of Thane city which houses around 2 million people and the natural elements become dumping grounds.

There is a huge Thane creek riverfront project in front of the site which is going in full swing but as the site has been used for storing old cars and has future proposal for housing, it wouldn’t be able to optimized to it’s fullest potential which is the reason of selection of the site so that the thick vegetation and floral bio-diversity which exists on the site brings in value in people who are living around the site and act as biodiversity corridor in urban realm.

The idea is to integrate rich ecological values of the site with communal spaces for the urban commons and generate qualitative public places. The rich bio-diversity present on site will help bring awareness towards ecological imbalances and engage people with nature as well as have social engagement place for the neighbourhood as well.

Site Area: 22,315 sqm

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7.2 I SITE LOCATION AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS Existing Land Use Plan in Rabodi area:

Figure 55: Existing Landuse plan in Urban cluster scheme Map Thane

Source: TMC http://tmctp.tmconline.in/ Proposed Land- Use Plan

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Figure 56: Proposed Urban cluster scheme Map, Thane

Figure 57: Google aerial Image of the site

Source: Author The following site analysis showcase the contextual significance of the immediate context of the site.

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Figure 58: Context of the site showing presence of important places in the city across the site

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8.1I PROJECT FEASIBILITY AND ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM The intent of the proposal is to activate the wasteland site and optimize the site’s potential through program which fosters interaction, enhancement in quality of life and collaboration for ideas in the public realm and bring in changes in site usage in organized manner. Thus, this can perhaps invoke change in perspectives towards wastelands in urban context and their significance in bio-diversity loss which are present in the sites in abundance due to less people interference in the site and hence houses rich ecological bio-diverse species.

The chosen site situated at the edge of Thane creek, has rich context of places of public importance, proposal of Thane creek riverfront in front of the site which will include Urban Park and places for socializing and recreational spaces. The site also has immediate context of Huge real estate development and as in the context there are no places for coming together for social gatherings, and there are many slums in the vicinity, the purpose is to activate the site for social welfare and generate places which contribute to well- being of the communities.

The purpose of the eco- arts and innovation program is to engage common people with innovators, artists and creative professionals of various backgrounds under one roof and which can provide a platform that supports public and semi- public sections and also provide opportunities for young minds to explore in field of art, innovation and technology in ecological sustainability. The proposal also envisages places with urban farming programs and recycling labs where people learn and innovate through learning from professionals and comprises of programs which can impart learnings which will help in promoting idea of urban regeneration than sustainability for future development.

As the context is situated next to the prison of Thane, the proposal includes spaces of therapies with secured environment for the prisoners. This can help in cultivating knowledge in places which are quite designed to scar the prisoners from normal life.

This affects the psychology of prisoners and they become prone to violence and criminal activities. Thus, provision of secured places which can improve certain spaces for them can prove beneficial and help in reducing crimes and help guide prisoners towards right direction.

The mixed-use proposal will be self- sufficient model with energy efficient, recycling unit, urban farming, and lesser carbon footprint.

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Proposed Functions: •

Organic farming

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Organic farming research labs and experimental Labs

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Urban Farming Workshop spaces

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Community Kitchen

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Eco- Art Studios

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Bio – Art Labs

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Bio- Art studios

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Art therapy spaces for prisoners

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Eco -Innovation workshop spaces

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Co- working space and co-designing studios

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Learning studios

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Exhibition centre and weekly arts market

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Sustainable Organic Food hub

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Healthy street food Hub and organic markets

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Recycling unit for neighbourhood

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Multipurpose Hall for multiple functions, interactions and social discussions

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Bibliography Anna Gałecka-Drozda, Elżbieta Raszeja. Useful wasteland – the potential of undeveloped land in modification of urban green infrastructure based on the city of Poznań. Warsaw: University of Warsaw – Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, 2018.

Bio Intelligence service. Muratet A. and al. (2007) “The Role of Urban Structures in the Distribution of Wasteland Flora in the Greater Paris Area,. November 2007. <http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/research_alert_en.htm>.

Bogna, Anna. “Rethinking terrain vague.” 04 06 2020. Medium. <https://medium.com/@bognaanna/rethinking-terrain-vague-c4f2c6ed0ddc>.

Deshmukh, Rama. Shodhganga. 20 07 2014. <http://hdl.handle.net/10603/23510>.

Furlan, Cecilia. “Unfolding Wasteland: A Thick Mapping Approach to the Transformation.” Coomans, Thomas. Mapping Landscapes in Transformation. USA: Leuvan University Press, 2019. 375.

Gandy, Mathew. “https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/clar20.” 18 04 2016. <https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2016.1156069>.

Gandy, Matthew. “Marginalia: Aesthetics, Ecology, and Urban Wastelands.” 30 09 2013. https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raag20. <https://doi.org/10.1080/00045608.2013.832105>.

Gańko, Anna. “What a waste? Reflexion on social use of wastelands during the pandemic.” (2020): 7. <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8664-455X>.

Giardinelli, Anastasia. https://calenda.org/search. 02 10 2018. <https://calenda.org/482057?lang=en >.

Graner, Anja. https://www.urbanet.info/abandoned-urban-spaces/. 29 11 2017. <https://www.urbanet.info/abandoned-urban-spaces/>.

Hall, Michael. researchgate . 13 05 2013. <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299781286_The_Ecological_and_Envi ronmental_Significance_of_Urban_Wastelands_and_Drosscapes>.

Head, Alex. Understanding conceptions of urban wastelands in global context Nidhi Jain. 30 10 2020. <http://wasteland-twinning.net/about/>.

Lucyna Twerd, Weronika Banaszak-Cibicka. https://link.springer.com/journal/10841. 30 03 2019. <https://rdcu.be/ca02Z>.

Manisha Pradhan, Pallavi Latkar. Semantics Scholar. February 2008. <https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Shallow-Lakes-in-Urban-Areas%3AEcological-of-Lakes-PradhanLatkar/f08193bc05a4b2e512a60277a404aa0edf5cf6fd#paper-header>.

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` Marion Brun, Francesca Di Pietro, Sébastien Bonthoux. “Residents’ perceptions and valuations of urban wastelands are influenced by vegetation structure.” Elsevier (2016): 11.

Misra, Tanvi. https://www.bloomberg.com/citylab. 18 02 2017. <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-17/a-cultural-history-ofwastelands>.

Nefs, Merten. UNUSED URBAN SPACE: CONSERVATION OR TRANSFORMATION? 01 7 2005 . <http://www.ct.ceci-br.org >.

Norbert Muller, Peter Werner, J.C. Kelcev. Urban Biodiversity and Design. Germany : Wiley -Blackwell, 2010.

Rink, Dieter. “Wilderness: The Nature of Urban Shrinkage? The Debate on Urban Restructuring and Restoration in Eastern Germany.” Nature and Culture Vol. 4, No. 3, Special Symposium on "The Ecology of Shrinkage" (2009): 18.

Rosa, Brian. “Waste and value in urban transformation,Reflections on a post-industrial ‘wasteland’ in Manchester.” Global Garbage (2016): 206.

Schéele, Cecilia von. “The void. Urban wasteland as political space.” The void (2016): 254.

Southworth, Michael. “https://escholarship.org/.” 01 04 2001. <https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f78s76f>.

TMC. ESR - 2013. Thane : Pollution Control Cell- Thane, 2013.

Trancik, Roger. “Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design.” Trancik, Roger. Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design. USA: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1986. 260.

Wastelands Twinning. n.d. <http://wasteland-twinning.net/about/>.

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APPENDICES / ANNEXURES Interview: 1. What was initial idea behind starting Wasteland twinning network and how and when did this all began?

Alex Head: The urban wastelands project was a shared collaborative idea of group of 4 distinct creative practitioners of artists, photographers and activists and we had mutual interest in neglected urban areas and intermediate urban landscapes in Berlin and we were aware of people who were interested in urban spaces and politics of urban communing in Netherlands, Scandinavia, India and Indonesia which turned out as beginning of the project to try to make it broad network of sharing the idea of utilizing and creating opportunities in wastelands found in urban context in 2011. The project was brought into realization in terms of practically and conceptually and also politically in terms of our relation with wastelands in Berlin which as an artist is always something to be aware of. During that wastelands project, I also started doing radio broadcast as working with communities who resided in these areas, along with photo documentation, I felt that working with people and recording them with audio seemed relevant of what they wanted to speak regarding wastelands as well. Hence, I started radio broadcast as well through wastelands project.

Will Foster was fellow student of my college and we met through college professor Justin Carter and they were interested in how real estates is exploited in the urban environment by multiple interest groups within the urban realm and they were very proactive in terms of philosophy and direction of environmental out course at Glasgow and so-called ethos of public engagement, public art projects, and proactive role of artists in urban atmosphere. They were trying to other types of public interventionists, which can be traced to 70’s and 80’s but which took sort of idea from environmentalist perspective.

The awareness of the context in which people are practising in urban realm and that context maybe necessarily has to include urban players in urban change, the kind of idea of engaging communities who are using these sites in everyday life, how are they using these sites and who owns these sites and people who neglect them but have an interest or role over stake of these sites and the evolution and development of urban wastelands in dynamic cities and thus that was degree of plasticity, degree of access then which is not the case today. So, in the sense the wastelands we probably recognise are always sort of time capsules, they are always temporally structured within political and creative and recreational desires of the community, so the whole online forum where we archive and document these sites is also to some extent place where you are creating lost records of such sites. Berlin

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has strong discourse in wastelands subject because of historical division, and sort of political history of the city which is incredibly complicated and interesting for that, you know ultimately point leading up to post 1989 re- allegation and relocation of urban space. Berlin during the cold war saw various scenarios where in there were sites considered death strip, border between East and West of Berlin, which had very negative associative history, so people don’t want to be near them, they don’t want to stay or they don’t even know which properties do they own in real estate which is lot of money but at that point when people were working during 1990’s, there was real kind of plasticity in how these negatively perceived and contaminated sites due to war and abandonment were regulated and they took advantage of these sites to create Parks and this is when my team got engaged with wastelands and participated in conceptualising ideas at base layers. The website thus was developed to bring global communication and interaction and promote awareness on the subject and their management. The wastelands in urban realm require lot of maintenance and constant protection and funds, and what we found was a lot of people were interested in the designing and developing these sites, and very proactive and vocal about their opinions and there were really engaging discussions and many activities such as blogs, research and networking with group of many urban players and investors and users on these spaces, and thus bringing them to a point where there are certain research methodologies which are submitted, various perspectives and certain methodologies can be reciprocated within other research groups in other sites, so through different context and similar perspectives produce comparative research aspect which I found fascinating during my learnings as well.

It marries a lot of aspects of community engagement and possibilities of working online in collaboration in really interesting way and even now when we work it keeps us engaged even after 10 years and it was pioneer idea, I think. So, we are able to maintain these conversations between different groups and bring those conversations into cohesions we had and various activities were done in sync with people of the different context in their own areas and cities and they had their own events taking place, and having an online website proved to be very functional and comparative understanding of different contexts and different types of wastelands circumstances and conditions, and this collaborative work injected certain amount of energy in the locals and active participation which turned out to be huge success at that time as people could see quite in short time where there research was heading towards, who is heading and who else is in the network and what were the interventions and the information was communicated through the website which was well organised and maintained. There are around network of 22 urban wastelands sites which we are currently engaged with, and in 2012, the Network Forum was launched which involved specific engagements of 3 urban wastelands located in Europe and it was “Recreational Ground Project” which was organised to demonstrate artistic impressions of unrealistic real development proposals for

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wastelands present in Nottingham and Berlin. The project worked with communities around these sites to represent and re-create the architectural visualisations that accompanied master plans for the development, casting participants at fictional characters populating unrealized proposals. Somehow, I believe that its good that development do not take place in wasteland sites as compact in urban spaces reduces green and recreational spaces for common people and to make people realize the reach of how far these places go and how these sites can become catalysts for urban public discussions and help create memories of everyday life with the space through temporary public art projects and events and though it was temporary, it was a good process of knowing who is using the space and how do people use the space who reside in the vicinity, what are their personal backgrounds and what are the pressures and living conditions, what are their aspirations and all these social registers coming in to conflict with each other, there were Bulgarian workers who were living in one of the wasteland sites which was abandoned factory and people living in illegal settlements and it was fight for living on legal rights to use that space which was a big discourse in Berlin as well.

The radio broadcast started at that time as well with David Bell, and we found the audio medium was interesting way to tell stories and recount the experiences of people who had first time experience of the site, first-hand knowledge of these wasteland sites in urban context and recording their experiences and help people open up with issues they deal with urban wasteland sites but also the politics involved in dealing with these sites in various contexts. The recordings were podcasted in famous podcast mediums – Coachella, NS Radio in London and TIY Church in Berlin.

“The idea of urban wastelands presents a set of important questions such as who has a stake in urban regeneration and currency of visual arts within wastelands discourse.”

2. According to you, how are urban wastelands defined?

Alex Head: It is understood that any definition of ‘Wasteland’ is problematic. For example, terms such as ‘unused’ presents a degree of absence and suggests inactivity. What constitutes inactivity in the eyes of officialdom is different to that of informal users. Attempting to define unused urban terrain is complex and polemical, often influenced by our own associations and projections. Terms such as wasteland, derelict, vacant, unoccupied, like the spaces themselves, defy clear location and categorisation. These places actually exist in urban context and not an imaginary context which people think. It is a perspective shift isn’t it in the idea of city? The lasting influence of various projects I have done is the materiality because

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it’s easy in the city like Berlin where there are around millions of artists, one can easily become lost in one’s own conceptual apparatus, or to become overly reliant on academic or scientific data and the quality of materiality observed in these sites in urban realm possess social questions which seem relevant in today’s context. The issues related to urban wastelands are not theoretical and they can be only dealt with active public engagements and community participation. Urban wastelands are product of large economic decisions and political issues, symptoms of how cities reproduce themselves and consequences of the same. The difficulty in accessibility and the pre-conceived notion that these spaces seem insecure and negative images that exist in our minds doesn’t let people engage with these wasteland sites much.

3. How has your personal experience and perceptions changed in urban wastelands visits?

Alex Head: So, I have visited quite a lot of urban wasteland sites and even stayed on one of wasteland sites for around 5 days in Bulgaria which seemed arguably dangerous sites in terms of ecological degradation and isolation on the site, but on the other hand , a lot of negative perceptions and dangerous associations to the place is in our heads and the representation of these sites due to ill- maintenance and less activity are perceived as non- public places also and left abandoned and it creates an image of insecurity in our minds.

In Berlin, most of the wasteland sites have been undertaken for developing housing schemes and one of the sites which I was attached to is unfortunately getting developed for housing and as per my visions and aspirations, I feel they should probably be much what they are today and not get developed into huge concrete infrastructures which will lessen community spaces and urban common spaces and places for artistic experimentation places and accessible to everyone. It needs to developed to bring in quality of life and be relevant to the context which is important. On the other hand, in Bulgarian site which was one of intense projects at that time, we stayed there and we pretended to propose community engagement spaces, and ended making a residency with Catholic communities around and it was an interesting project and it had cultural influence which brought in the project in more interesting manner.

Most of the wastelands which I have visited so far have an interesting formal as well as informal character and by nature provide ecological systems and full of biodiversity and buzzing wildlife, and species richness was purely evident and it was serene to watch urban bio-diversity and wildlife to such an extent for sites which were abandoned or unused for years. The spatial quality of spaces is similar to being in nature reserve and full of life.

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Even if development at such sites would happen, they should be in order of preserving nature or parks for communities and ecologically balanced spaces in the cities.

4. What are reasons of emergence of urban wastelands which you have known and engaged with in cities?

Alex Head: The conditions are similar to what we see across every city around the globe which are majorly negligence towards abandoned or unused plots, consequences of industrial production, some of them related to property arguments and ownership issues and most of them in Berlin especially are products of real estate speculation , so regardless of how they emerge in first place, they continue through real estate speculations and most of the people wait for the opportunities when the value of the site is high enough for it to pay off. The places which have been scarred for life, which are sites affected by bombing, these sites can’t be called as wastelands as I believe it is not a wasteland until it’s defined against a space which is productive. The sites would be defined as wastelands when they lose a connection with social structure in urban context. Thus, what I meant to say was wastelands can only be defined against capitalist urban reproduction essentially.

This is an important distinction which is rather than eliminating it as a wasteland rather seeing it as a node around which certain experimental ideas can move and certain conversations and dialogues of community nature can take place. The discourse is not now around wastelands but around housing like issues such as rents, space for living, issues regarding monopoly, feudalism, housing ownership, etc.

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5. What are the key parameters for studying and intervening in urban wastelands?

Alex Head: There are not any fixed parameters as such and the whole point is that people can themselves interpret their own methodologies for research, but from practical point of view, one of first parameters are the ones which are set out in political context within which one is working in, and the prescriptive of real politics, the limitations are set out by the socio- economic realities around the site itself, so even one gets to speak with the owner, they are only ever going to give others temporary use of the space and even if communities are formed around that space, and communities are going to change with time, and decision making process is quite complex, and then main parameter for researching wastelands is through time. The possibilities of urban commons and the issues of people living around the neighbourhood is what makes our projects work on the first place, without that discourse there is no usage of urban space or there is no way of comparing it. The discourse around urban commons is very important to lot of way in which people research and think regarding urban wastelands and the histories which these sites refer to and the way in which those histories allow us to have solidarity with each other across different socio- economic, demographic and national barriers. The parameters lie in one’s creativity and real politics of the sites of the context.

6. What are the various challenges which you have faced while dealing with these sites in terms of accessibility and intervening on these sites?

Alex Head: In terms of accessibility, I personally didn’t find it difficult to access wasteland sites, but in terms of legal procedures, there were certain issues which we faced as a team but challenge is about not getting there but staying there. The challenge is in perception which requires that perspective shift. Though the sites do feel intimidating or make us feel so, but they are not. They feel more like place for urban wilderness to flourish and it makes us feel closer to nature, and it inspires me.

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7. What do you think of the impact of urban wastelands in people’s minds and overall wellbeing when they venture in the sites or also visually passing through the wasteland sites?

Alex Head: The potential is of course there for certain amount of reflection, immersion within different perspectives of urban landscapes, the potential is there for kind of like free space, there is value of transgression itself, the value of transgressing parameter, passing a border let’s say for human mind, politically, personally but then one has to take that step, that leap of faith over that parameter, because if one doesn’t , then they result in pre- conceived idea of turning into useless and places which do not have any scope or future, with negative perceptions which are associated with poverty, unhealthy places, filthy status and pollution and kind of places where bad things take place. These are interesting contrasting perspectives I would say. It’s quite interesting and difficult as there is utopianism to it as well which is also important to touch upon when we talk regarding the subject. Utopianism is again sort of condition isn’t it, there is certain structure of thinking and thought which has its own xiphial nature.

8. What did you feel while promoting the idea of urban wastelands as potentials for temporary usage and how has your idea helped the communities around the wasteland sites?

Alex Head: The promotion of idea of urban wastelands was quite difficult task and convincing people, but if the idea turns out to be beneficial or interesting, it can help create conversations between urban commons. The projects helped the communities and commoners to understand that there is potential of formalising usage in a way that is productive for the people who use the space or reside around these wasteland sites which is definitely possible and I want to refer to site in Amsterdam, in Westerdoksdijk which has been protected and campaigned for around 30 years, and they have turned it into public park and it has been site of formalisation of political community and that’s really valuable and significant for launching campaigns, trying to intervene within and take control of issues within urban sphere, so the urban wastelands can become focal point of political energy and become sort of meeting place for those people and community issues. I would imagine that those sites have been the location for political communities many times, and that would be sort of strength of the political communities to empower and acknowledge these sites as points to engage with the common people.

In Hamburg, for example, situated in Germany, there is Park Fiction Project is real urban development of wasteland through campaigning which is now successful intervention, so in the context of the prolonged neglect of the area by the city authorities and the relative wealth of much of West Germany, this local activism developed into a demand for a public amenity rather than private development.

One of the most successful strategies was to not only protest for a public space but to act as if one already existed. To this end, the group organised a series of public events in the site, including talks, exhibitions, open-air screenings and concerts.

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Thus, it reflects how urban wastelands can be boon for people and what people wanted was a space which would become their voice, a place to meet, to discuss, to reproduce our social milieu, a place for social habitat, to eat, talk and be together. It is not the luxurious apartments or high-end shopping malls people want to engage in, but a place to be together. The thing we are proud of is that we have not interfered and imposed anything on communities but provide them with platform to engage. We always have been very conscious of how we might affect the gentrification of the space, visibility of the discourse, and the question of for whom has always been at the forefront of what we do and that will always be at priority.

9. In your opinion, how important are urban wastelands in terms of mitigating global issues such as climatic change and global warming, heat island effect?

Alex Head: I think it is obvious we require urban green spaces in urban structure to recycle carbon emissions, to cool the urban sphere as well, to have spaces with water element around, and argument for decades have been going around the subject and they act as urban sinks which are ecologically important, even from ecological bio-diversity point of view, as the global warming rates increases, it is also seen that these spaces are more neglected in these terms as well. Another aspect I am more inclined towards is these can be pockets of space where you can be offline and surrender yourself to wild nature these urban wastelands comprise of.

One would like to think of these sites as points of intersectionality but I believe it takes hard work and it requires time and maintenance and people have to be proactive in such cases and it’s not like sites can themselves produce the answers.

10. What is your take on how can urban wastelands be utilized during pandemic situations?

Alex Head: They do have a lot of potential during COVID-19, because first and foremost thing to maintain during pandemic situations is social distancing, and these wasteland sites which vary in sizes but are abandoned for years, and have been isolated from social structure, there are only few people or no people who utilize these places and these sites have always been ecologically diverse and surrounded with thick vegetation and are green corridors, and hence provide with ecosystem services while being places where only few people venture and can become spaces for people to engage with nature mentally and physically relax in tough pandemic situations when public recreational places are denied access and then again people are online a lot more so if one can do discourse about space through research portals such as Wastelands Twinning and communicate from various contexts. It is in my opinion the silver lining in the incredibly challenging and saddening period in human history, these urban wastelands be rediscovered to certain extent and I hope they already.

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11. From creative professional point of view what are the perceptions regarding wasteland sites?

Alex Head: They are conceptualised differently at different context in the world, even within Europe, within the cities and sites as well, that’s partly to do with the approach of researchers but when it comes to creative communities, there is sense in terms of dealing with sites, they are political spaces first, and most frequented sites are the ones with people living on the sites, for example, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which was really productive engagement through country space and they had very close relationship within community for long period of time and so enacting parallel twinning relationship with Nottingham, there are also enacting a type of international exchange of solidarity and research and storytelling and I think the idea that it’s kind of a space where anyone can do anything not really appropriate for that particular environment, also even the idea of being wasteland is like ridiculous really because it is inhabited, it changes completely its register as a space, it’s not like it cannot be a cultural space, it’s not that it cannot be described as wasteland , it’s not first thing that comes to mind when we talk about wastelands, it’s part of discourse around, the whole complex history of land use in Indonesia, which goes back to colonialism by the Dutch, The British and post- industrial period and it is very intricate history, every site has that sort of history but it is just about of how much information on surface is there, and it’s kind of real politics in current moment, obviously in Berlin, it is complete contrast of that, people coming in and doing anything illegal and dark around these places, but we were working with many people pre- pandemic , there were 150 people per week, just coming in and we were in artist studios, and we were able to go to the sites and document by just observations and recording and photos documentation, so the communities which weave and able to work with in these sites are much more cautious about what creativity means and for whom.

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