Preserving wild ecosystems among urban reconstructions and measuring co-design impact in cities.
The first phase of BiodiverCities project converts construction sites into urban wild spots and enables citizens to create sustainable housing structures for pollinator species.
The lack of dialogue between citizens and city authorities fuels polarized arguments but does not provide direction for resilient urban ecosystems. We’re building a cultural shift based on artistic and scientific research, rather than opinions, and provide accessible design tools to achieve it locally.
Cross-border/international
Italy
Netherlands
Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries: Lithuania
Milan, Italy 2020
Delft, the Netherlands 2021
Kaunas, Lithuania 2022
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
JRC Ispra Science Hub (Varese, Italy) makers-in-residence programme
Theme: Pollinators decline: can you make the difference?
2020-2021
https://shorturl.at/bDOR3
No
Yes
As a representative of an organization, in partnership with other organisations
Name of the organisation(s): Všį Dizaino draugai Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Kotryna Last name of representative: Lenkauskaitė Gender: Female Nationality: Lithuania Function: Project coordinator Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Laisvės al. 73-7 Town: Kaunas Postal code: LT-44304 Country: Lithuania Direct Tel:+37067173070 E-mail:info@designfriends.org Website:https://designfriends.org/en/
The BiodiverCities I project was created to facilitate urban areas with design tools, for them to become shelters for insects in this period of radical urban expansion.
Cities are becoming an ecologically valuable territory where insects can take refuge from intensive farming. For this potential to be fulfilled, the involvement of both citizens and public authorities is needed, in the planning of wild urban spots and the maintenance of parks and gardens.
To activate this cultural shift, a conceptual design toolkit for the DIY production of wild insect housing structures has been developed by project leader Justė Motuzaitė (Integrated Product Design master student at Delft University of Technology) for the European Project “Urban Wild Pollinators” in 2021.
This kit allows the construction of an insect pollinator habitat module without prior knowledge in design or biology.
Kaunas chapter of the project was created to further develop the initial toolkit, by inviting citizens to a workshop on April the 5th, 2022.
The workshop took place in Kaunas Fortress Park, alongside the future Aleksotas Innovation Industry Park (AIIP). Due to the close cooperation with the T-Factor project (https://aleksotas.t-factor.eu/), this workshop was one of the temporary activities of the Kaunas pilot, aimed at implementing innovative methods in urban regeneration areas. Workshop participants used design thinking principles to find ways to improve the tool kit design and installation processes of wild insect nests.
After the workshop, we developed two models and kits for bee hotels – one to be hung in trees for cavity nesting bees and an underground one for ground-nesters. Instructions for making bee hotels can be found on the new website http://biodivercities.eu/. BiodiverCities I is carried out in cooperation with DesignLibrary network, HyperInk, Kaunas Fortress Park, T-Factor and KTU Design Centre. The project was funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture (2022 July – December)
Urban wild spots
Meanwhile uses
Open Source design toolkit
Nature-centric co-designing
Action-empowering
We tackled the problem of unsustainable bee hotels, by providing strict ecological requirements and explicit lists of nature-found or repurposed materials to be used in such processes. Reed, elder or goatberry stems, cardboard, beeswax, clay, straw and natural jute rope can all be used to make the new bee hotel designs.
From a fun eco-friendly activity it could potentially become a bottom-up city making approach, allowing local communities to join territory planning and evolving from the too-often-seen “build now, think later” mindset.
With the post-pandemic reality of empty offices and other unutilised urban spaces, meanwhile uses are expected to be on the rise. It also proves to be an effective method of capacitating the soon-to-be reconstructed areas during the period of legal processes, and prevents the uninhabited spaces from deterioration. Artists, designers and researchers add value to the given indoor or outdoor space by transforming the space temporarily and bringing people that would have never visited that building or district otherwise. Temporary cultural activities help the residents and the future investors see that specific location from a different perspective, and creates natural community interactions within the neighbourhood.
The vision of a more sustainable relationship between citizens and municipalities can grow from activities as such. This method of raising awareness about global issues through local activities can encourage citizen-led environmental enthusiasm. With creative, interactive, site-specific workshops comes a clearer view of how the future cities could look and feel like.
With this project we communicated the importance of biodiversity in the cities and discussed how the urban environment should become more nature-inclusive. Greening urban environments not only helps the wild species thrive, but also reduces heat island effects, provides emotional and social advantages of green and biodiverse parks.
We conducted an online survey about the fear of bees. It included an immersive audio system background with bees’ noise flying at different distances and positions from the listener, and a questionnaire about the instinctual and psychological consequences/reactions perceived. Three different AR environments showed that a bee close by (or similar kind of general "flying insect”), but at a safe distance, evokes positive interest and less fear. Comments about the fact that if you don't provoke these insects yourself, then they won't attack you, shows that the participants respect the species and understand the need to treat it with care. All respondents valued bees as important ecosystem participants.
This method of triggering emotions can be used to initiate engaging community discussions about bees and their importance, and can help people with a strong fear to calmly experience a close physical encounter with the species, without the possibility of stings or other negative consequences.
By inviting workshop participants to create their own solutions to specific problems we received more active engagement, it resulted in free practical exploration and creative ideas. We activated co-creation for biodiversity, using design methods to foster dialogue with citizens on the importance of this environmental concern.
If cities are to become havens for wild bees, we must address the emotional reactions of city dwellers, analyze them, and work together to develop ways and possible scenarios for how humans and insects can co-exist in the city.
One of the most important tasks of the project is to create tools for incorporating environmental awareness into the mindset of ordinary citizens, not only the already-hyped activists. The workshop was free and open for everyone to participate.
We applied a nature-inclusive approach: the main goal of the project is to incentivise citizens to give space for nature and discuss co-existing in urban areas, by providing tools and basis of knowledge to analyze the environment in a nature-inclusive way.
Toolkit material list includes plants that can all be collected from nature, or repurposed (e.g. craft cardboard), to make it inclusive on an economic level.
We wanted to reach a wider range of local audience, therefore all the contents of the previous project development were translated to Lithuanian, all the further communication had also been delivered both in English and Lithuanian.
To keep the locality and future developments in mind, we were collaborating with experts from Vytautas Magnus University Botanical Garden, to help us identify local wild plant species that could be used in creating a coherent environment for bee hotel installations.
First of all, citizen involvement in independent insect habitat construction could prevent a drastic change of diet, by providing pollinators with shelter and a favourable environment in the cities.
Fast-growing urban development and real estate business raise, environmental pollution and the use of pesticides in agriculture are some of the main factors affecting the decline of insect pollinators. As insects decline, so does plant diversity. According to Dr Hannah Ritche of the University of Edinburgh (https://ourworldindata.org/pollinator-dependence), the species most dependent on insect pollinators in Europe are fruits and berries, particularly apples, pears, plums, cherries, raspberries and blueberries. Without the pollinators, these plant species will not necessarily disappear or be unable to reproduce, but yields are projected to decrease by between 40% and 90%.
Other positive aspects of inclusive co-designing exercises discovered during the project:
- The hands-on process of bee housing construction gives people clear and accessible tools, and a sense of empowerment to solve a global issue locally;
- Scientific knowledge about insect behaviour helps to destigmatise the relationship between humans and wildlife, get rid of fears and evokes an empathetic attitude towards the species;
- A psychological shift from an egocentric human-wildlife power dynamic to an eco-centric one enables people to take responsibility and initiate environmental activism at the municipality level.
T-Factor project has provided international expertise, has included the workshop in the temporary activities of the Kaunas pilot, as well as carried out communication campaigns on the international project's channels and in Lithuanian media.
Dr. Ričardas Skorupskas, Associate Professor at the Institute of Geosciences, Vilnius University, contributed to the project workshop by preparing a video presentation on ways to improve urban biodiversity by creating green spaces; and different approaches to human-nature relations, as well as by providing the participants with a general knowledge of urban ecology and a broader perspective on the environment.
Kaunas Fortress Park has provided the premises of the Kaunas Fortress Park workshop and access to the Lakūnai Garden in Kaunas, Lithuania.
HyperInk has contributed to the development of the project by providing advice on the content of the workshop and event management services. It was also one of the partners which helped the project leader organise an educational workshop and introduce the toolkit for the first time at the Giardino San Faustino community garden in Milan, Italy (2021).
DesignLibrary Associazione Culturale contributed to the project's communication campaign through DesignLibrary Kaunas social media platforms, provided advice on the project's visual and textual content, and has provided the Design Library Kaunas space for organizers' meetings and project development activities.
Kaunas University of Technology Design Centre has contributed to the project's communication campaign through the social media platforms, and included the project's workshop in the activities of the Bionics and Design study module.
Vytautas Magnus University Botanical Garden provided expert services, advising the project team on local biodiversity-friendly wild plant species and the plans for the installation of an insect Biohotel.
Associate Professor Dr Ričardas Skorupskas video presentation during the workshop made it clear that the topic of urban regeneration is not just a nature-preserving matter, but is also closely related to our psychology, discomfort of changing habits, and the perception of the power dynamics between humans and other species. A change in this perception would result in a positive change in our environment.
In his view, it should be clearly defined which urban green spots should be carefully managed and which can be left to wildlife. Instead of hurrying to cut longer grass and sweep up fallen leaves in public parks and other green areas, he argues, the benefits of wild elements should be considered. Fallen leaves contain a variety of ecosystem nutrients, and different types of native flowers provide food for a wide range of insect species.
Furthermore, workshop attendants were of two main categories: students from Bionics and Design module from Kaunas University of Technology (assoc. Prof. Lorenzo Piazzi) and citizens of Kaunas. During the activities, organisers noticed effective co-creation dynamics between people with basic design knowledge and those without, as this combination offered a good balance of design-thinking-informed decisions and playful experiments.
Mainstream approach towards increasing wild nature in the city (as we saw in the Lithuanian capital city Vilnius in 2022): when government decided to increase the wild areas in the city, many citizens opposed to this change, because it’s too sudden, they were not included in the conversation, and/or they lack knowledge about why is it beneficial.
We present a different approach: co-designing with the citizens and inviting them to create new ways of increasing biodiversity in their local areas through meanwhile uses. We created and adapted different design tools to guide participants in their analysis and creation. Guiding, but not ordering what to do. The results of such activities might not end up being a perfect solution, but they can inspire lawmakers, ecologists and governmental bodies about how to make cities’ ecosystems more sustainable.
Creative education on wild insect and plant species can help citizens change their perspective on wildlife in the city, since current public discourse often focuses solely on aesthetics.
Furthermore, citizens feel involved and listened to. They also learn about the importance of their contribution and get familiar with explicit ways to increase biodiversity by themselves.
A method of territory planning and site-specific design decisions could be replicated in any designated area that needs to become more biodiverse. The principles of the Project for Public Spaces "Placemaking" method have been applied to the analysis of Kaunas Fortress Park area. The categories and questions have been altered according to the topic of this project as well as wild nature and human needs.
Each team was given a map of the Lakūnai garden area along with the questionnaire. In that way, the participants could mark the most important objects and create a plan for the territory that would be convenient for both, the humans and the wild nature.
When creating and installing insect hotels, the participants were encouraged to pay attention to not only a specific place suitable for their construction, but also to the surrounding environment: nearby sources of materials suitable for food and nest construction, the integrity of green areas in the territory and their diversity. Most of the workshop participants decided to expand the wildflower patches in the garden, or create new similar spaces to increase the foraging opportunities for bees.
The tools created for the workshop (memo’s about the ecological requirements for different bee species, questions for site analysis and Lakūnai garden plan) helped participants to understand the wider context of the problem and the ecological requirements for the built structures. In addition, these tools have allowed them to analyse the area in a targeted manner and provide thoughtful design improvements.
Most importantly, the improved design toolkit is available online and is free for everyone. For these constructions to be more sustainable and easily done, the list of suitable local plant species might have to be adapted according to each location. Also, additional design problems might occur in relation to different climates and/or local pollinator species, but our toolkit would work as a strong base for that.
Scientific research, co-design, placemaking and user experience/interaction methodologies were used to improve environmental knowledge, measure citizen impact in urban planning, and guide workshop participants in the creation process, both emotionally and practically. Firstly, to kick-start an in depth discussion about human-wild bee interactions, a multisensory experience session has been organized in Milan (2021). Participants were listening to a three-dimensional audio of a flying bee while blindfolded to enhance the sound perception. At the same time, the activity supervisor would touch the participant’s hand with an artificial insect, to mimic the haptic experience. Secondly, research was conducted about the different species of wild bees and their varied habitat needs. Collected insights have been translated into design requirements for wild bee habitats, which later have been shared with participants through visual handouts about cavity-nesting and ground-nesting wild bees. These handouts have enabled participants to create and build their designs while meeting habitat requirements. Then, to transform emotional engagement into active citizen involvement, workshops were based on co-design methodology. The event structure consisted of: discussing the importance of wild urban pollinators and species diversity, showcasing the main ecosystem problems in urban environments, organizing activities in which participants would use their creative skills to improve the current or create new habitat designs. Participants were also invited to analyze the nearby park area in order to understand where the wild bee habitats can be built and come up with new ideas of how the park area could be improved for wild nature and humans. Teams have been presented with a layout of guiding questions to think in terms of Space use, Comfort, Access and Multifunctionality. Guiding questions are based on Placemaking method and adapted to include wild nature perspective in the green areas.
1. Egocentric city planning and top-down urban sustainability solutions.
We proved meanwhile use activities to be extremely effective in involving inhabitants into urban development. Research conducted during our workshop and survey proves that the visual perception of cities and the emotional reactions that come with it, changes significantly with gained knowledge. All teams empathetically solved the problems of housing insects and shared their caring insights about the warm and comfortable life of bees in their new home. Some of the participants got emotionally involved in the creative process and the environmental theme, they were happy to be able to create design solutions that favour the preservation of another species.
2. Unsustainable insect housing practices and false image of the bee hotels.
Often, when making insect habitats, people replicate the model of a human house and do not take into account the needs of other species and create structures that do not meet ecological requirements. Our toolkit was made with strict rules in mind, workshop participants were briefed on them first-hand and provided with natural materials for it.
3. Eco-anxiety
This project helps people overcome (or decrease, at least) the ever-growing feeling of eco-anxiety ("a chronic fear of environmental doom", wikipedia), by providing them with clear statistics and definitive toolkit instructions to do one’s best at increasing biodiversity in one’s local city.
4. Lack of knowledge about wild species, negative attitude towards wildlife spots in cities and the fear of bees.
We emphasize balancing the needs of both nature and people: deciding which spots of the city/territory/neighbourhood could be reserved for wildlife and which will be suitable for a pleasant leisure time is crucial. The psychological discomfort of interaction with unknown species can decline with the help of such activities, thus making the eco-friendly city plans seem not so apocalyptic after all.
A workshop was organised with academia members, students, residents of the local neighbourhood and Kaunas residents interested in environmental issues participating.
The project website was updated, translated to Lithuanian and now features an improved design toolkit for insect habitats, available in Lithuanian and English openly and free of charge to everyone.
Link to the toolkit: https://biodivercities.eu/ltu/toolkit.html
Draft of an academic paper with an initial methodology for using the design toolkit in research was implemented. The paper was submitted to the Design Principles and Practices conference, and has since been accepted. https://designprinciplesandpractices.com/
A detailed article with statistics on endangered biodiversity and an overview of the workshop was produced. The article has been published on the KTU website and will be distributed in Lithuanian media channels before spring 2023 (during the appropriate time for new insect habitats to be constructed and installed). https://midf.ktu.edu/news/suderinti-miesto-ir-gamtos-poreikius-vabzdziu-buveines-kaip-budas-issaugoti-bioivairove/
With the help of the Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University, a design concept for the Biohotel environment was developed: a detailed plan for the integration of the insect habitat into the Lakūnai Garden territory, with detailed recommendations for the site's landscaping, maintenance, spatial design and local wild plant species seeding timeline.
To help participants understand the habitat needs of wild bees, two memos were produced - one for cavity-nesting bees and one for underground nesting bees. An environmental evaluation method was also developed to allow participants to assess the site more effectively from a socio-ecological perspective.
A further development of the project includes: insect surveillance and data collecting, academic article publication, biohotel spatial design concept implementation.
