Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Andelen av världens befolkning som lever i storstadsregioner växer, vilket medför en risk att människor förlorar kontakten med naturen. Städer kan dock spela en avgörande roll i att få människor att återanknyta till naturen. Att observera djur i städer är en aktivitet som uppskattas av många och som kan tänkas bidra till att skapa bättre kontakt med den naturliga omvärlden. Den biologiska mångfalden minskar dock i hela världen. Detta examensarbete behandlar frågan hur landskapsarkitekter kan bidra till ökad biologisk mångfald genom att gestalta platser för stadslevande djur. Arbetet syftar till att gestalta en bostadsgård som kombinerar gestaltningen av habitat för två fågelarter och en gård som erbjuder funktioner och rekreation för de boende. Gestaltningen är baserad på metoden Animal-Aided Design (AAD). Gestaltningsförslaget som presenteras i arbetet kombinerar behoven av de två arterna rödhake och gråsparv med behov och önskemål av de boende.

With the urban population growing worldwide, there is a risk of people losing contact with nature. For many people, cities are the place where nature can be experienced, and therefore, urban areas can play an important role in reconnecting people with nature. Watching urban wildlife and small birds in particular is an activity appreciated by many people which can contribute to a stronger contact with nature. However, biodiversity is decreasing throughout the world, and urbanisation can cause fragmentation aggravating habitat conditions for urban wildlife. This master’s thesis deals with the question in which way landscape architects can contribute to increasing urban biodiversity by designing places for urban wildlife. It aims to create a design proposal for a residential courtyard that combines creating habitats for bird species and a courtyard that offers functions and recreation for the residents. The design is based on the method Animal-Aided Design. The design proposal of this thesis is inspired by the needs of the species European robin and house sparrow, and combines the needs of these species with the needs of the residents. In order to successfully design habitats, all needs during the life cycle of the chosen species must be fulfilled on the site. This thesis shows that it is possible to design places for both urban wildlife and people. It can be stated that most needs of the chosen bird species are compatible with needs of the residents. For instance, design elements such as tall trees, fruit trees and berry shrubs, native plants and plant diversity are appreciated by both residents and birds. Moreover, multifunctional design solutions such as a boules court with a stone dust ground cover and pergolas with integrated bird houses can be used for different activities by the residents while also fulfilling needs of the birds regarding feather care and nesting spots. However, there are difficulties when designing for both birds and people. While people generally wish for a place to be visually open, birds depend on dense vegetation consisting of a variety of dense shrubs. Nevertheless, the thesis shows that such conflicts can be overcome by designing a place with varying attributes regarding choice of vegetation in different parts of the site. The discussion chapter deals with chances and difficulties when designing for urban wildlife as well as aspects that can influence the outcome of this approach. The importance of including the residents in the design phase is highlighted. Furthermore, the method Animal-Aided Design and its applicability to landscape architecture projects are discussed.