Making kin with pigeons; multispecies design of urban spaces beyond anthropocentrism

Abstract

The relentless attempts to maintain the division between nature and culture have resulted in a loss of connection to the natural environment for urban dwellers, leading to a loss of knowledge and empathy for nonhuman species. Reinforcing the problematic belief that human beings are above nature and its ecosystems, this dichotomy also dictates which species belong in our cities, and which do not. Pigeons. Our companions, collaborators, and allies for centuries, bred, trained, and cared for, are now considered a nuisance that our buildings and public spaces must be protected from. When architects and planners consider the birds, it is often in the form of exclusion. However, emerging approaches such as more than-human design show promising potential in contributing to a shift in the architecture practice, proposing strategies and solutions to design for and with other species. In the spirit of Donna Haraway's concept of Making kin, this thesis explores the potential of architecture as an interspecies mediator and how spatial interventions in Brunnsparken, Gothenburg, can encourage mutualistic connections between humans and pigeons. The long-term aims being to (re)build our relationship with pigeons, to reconnect with nature, and to sustain our empathy for nonhumans. The process builds on more-than-human design theories and methods. Through three phases called context analysis, making kin, and multispecies placemaking, the thesis explores the spatial and social entanglement of pigeons and humans, and how design can be used as an interspecies mediator. The outcome of this thesis is four spatial interventions: multispecies fika tables, bathing fountains, stringfoot assistance benches and observatory walls, that all benefit both humans and pigeons. Together, these interventions transform Brunnsparken into a multispecies park that encourages humans and pigeons to share space and facilitates real interspecies connections. This thesis is about accountability and what we owe to the species that our anthropocentric worldview has negatively impacted. It is about taking responsibility for (re)building a relationship with pigeons, instead of blaming them for being exactly what we bred them to be.