10/2023

Participatory Lab: Transforming the city public space & environment, inequalities & democracy


Session 7A.7, Food and Nutrition

Chaido Kaproulia along with Alice Clarke and Akshar Gajjar, participated in the 2nd Scientific Conference of the Participatory Lab ‘’PARTICIPATORY DESIGN: TRANSFORMING THE CITY PUBLIC SPACE & ENVIRONMENT, INEQUALITIES & DEMOCRACY’’ with their submission ‘’A Fantasy of Pastoral Diversity’’. The conference took place on the 22nd of October 2023 in Athens.

Abstract

Any theoretical or physical framework that attempts to separate nature and society into distinct realms paralyses the ecological movement for the on-going crisis (Loftus, 2012).

The nature-culture divide has led to a widespread diversity loss, which is not a singularly ecological question but an interdisciplinary one encompassing food systems, farming practices, geographical features, policy making. Landscapes of production have played an important role in maintaining the equilibrium which over the industrial revolution has been drastically altered. What role do designers play in such landscapes of high ecological value that are being extracted for human production?

In an attempt to generate a discussion around these landscapes the paper focuses on the pre-alpine cultural and agrarian landscape and its lack of diversity and inefficient land use in the mismanaged pastures. The paper approaches intensive animal farming as a rather global issue, since the effects of animal farming go far beyond the Pre Alpine geography. It will debate about how designers, urban planners and geographers can approach natural and equally cultural territories to address these vulnerabilities through design. It further aims to discuss how social, economical and ecological deadends are created in these intensively farmed landscapes. Lack of ecological diversity creates a threatened ecosystem that is vulnerable to collapse. Lack of economic diversity is shaping an asphyxiating environment for the locals. The paper aims to discuss animal farming in prealpine geography through the prism of ecology, economy, and social engagement and the potential of design thinking to transform a (mono)cultural landscape to a polymorphous socio-ecological landscape.


10/2023

Participatory Lab: Transforming the city public space & environment, inequalities & democracy


Session 7A.7, Food and Nutrition

Chaido Kaproulia along with Alice Clarke and Akshar Gajjar, participated in the 2nd Scientific Conference of the Participatory Lab ‘’PARTICIPATORY DESIGN: TRANSFORMING THE CITY PUBLIC SPACE & ENVIRONMENT, INEQUALITIES & DEMOCRACY’’ with their submission ‘’A Fantasy of Pastoral Diversity’’. The conference took place on the 22nd of October 2023 in Athens.

Abstract

Any theoretical or physical framework that attempts to separate nature and society into distinct realms paralyses the ecological movement for the on-going crisis (Loftus, 2012).

The nature-culture divide has led to a widespread diversity loss, which is not a singularly ecological question but an interdisciplinary one encompassing food systems, farming practices, geographical features, policy making. Landscapes of production have played an important role in maintaining the equilibrium which over the industrial revolution has been drastically altered. What role do designers play in such landscapes of high ecological value that are being extracted for human production?

In an attempt to generate a discussion around these landscapes the paper focuses on the pre-alpine cultural and agrarian landscape and its lack of diversity and inefficient land use in the mismanaged pastures. The paper approaches intensive animal farming as a rather global issue, since the effects of animal farming go far beyond the Pre Alpine geography. It will debate about how designers, urban planners and geographers can approach natural and equally cultural territories to address these vulnerabilities through design. It further aims to discuss how social, economical and ecological deadends are created in these intensively farmed landscapes. Lack of ecological diversity creates a threatened ecosystem that is vulnerable to collapse. Lack of economic diversity is shaping an asphyxiating environment for the locals. The paper aims to discuss animal farming in prealpine geography through the prism of ecology, economy, and social engagement and the potential of design thinking to transform a (mono)cultural landscape to a polymorphous socio-ecological landscape.



isola studio
Ippokratous 9, 10679
Athens, Greece

All images produced by isola unless otherwise specified.