Urban Wastelands Research Articles

Are parks as favourable habitats for wild bees as wastelands in watercourse valleys of a large city?

Because of the growing population density and rate of urban development, the question of biodiversity conservation in cities and towns is increasingly important. In general, urban environments provide attractive habitats for a diversity of wild bees, but different types of urban habitats can have different effects on these pollinating insects. In this study, we compared the attractiveness of two different urban habitat types – parks (10 sites) and wastelands (10 sites) located in river and canal valleys in Bydgoszcz (northern Poland) – with respect to abundance, species richness, species composition, and functional trait composition of wild bees. We hypothesized that urban wastelands are more attractive to wild bees than urban parks are. Urban wastelands were characterized by higher abundance and species richness of wild bees compared to urban parks. When habitat type was the only predictor, nonlinearity of wild bee abundance and species richness was significant exclusively for wastelands. Overall, both wild bee abundance and species richness depended on the percentage of total bee food plant coverage, regardless of habitat type. Wild bee community composition also responded significantly to the percentage of total bee food plant coverage. Local and landscape features of the green spaces affected the functional traits of the wild bees recorded there. These findings reveal that formal green spaces, such as managed parks, are not sufficient to conserve wild bee resources in urban environments in river and canal valleys. In contrast, high-quality informal urban green spaces, such as urban wastelands, can promote abundant and rich wild bee communities. Thus it is crucial to strive for appreciation and protection of this persistently overlooked category of urban green spaces.

Health Colonialism: Urban Wastelands and Hospital Frontiers by Shiloh Krupar (review)

Health Colonialism: Urban Wastelands and Hospital Frontiers by Shiloh Krupar (review)

The Multiscalar Worlds of Remediation: Sitting Halfway Down a Meandering Path

This hybrid environmental creative nonfiction invites the reader to consider a small, contaminated patch of land tucked inside an industrial neighborhood in Montréal (Tiohtià:ke). By exploring the multiscalar geographies and histories of this site—now a municipal phytoremediation testbed—I seek to reframe the notion of remediation against the extractive and colonial logics that underpin Western technoscientific imaginaries and practices of healing. Thus, I will address the “pluriverse” as a coalescing of multiple and incommensurable scales of living and non-living, political and affective, and social and economic processes that define a seemingly desolate urban wasteland (Povinelli 2016). Through photography and repeated visits, I consider ancient Carboniferous worlds and persistent toxicants (Hird 2013); Suncor refineries and a neighborhood; soil (Puig de la Bellacasa 2015), trees, bacteria (Hird and Yusoff 2019), and those who inhabit and continue to care for this place.

Recycling urban wastelands in Greek cities. Challenges and opportunities

In the context of socio-economic development and the degradation of the modern city and its inhabitant’s quality of life, the regeneration of every available urban void can lead to better urban environments. The existence of wastelands of any scale, inside and outside the urban fabric leads to urban discontinuity, disorientation and shrinking of space. In the context of the regeneration of the urban fabric and the revitalization of cities, these "dormant" spaces, present various dynamics, and possibilities through the redefinition of their identity and their reintegration into the city’s form, function, and structure.
 The current paper examines with the use the case studies the regeneration process of wastelands in Greece. As wastelands integration, their new role and their implementation procedures is a subject of public discussion as the 2009 economic crisis led to new tools for their regeneration the paper with the analysis of two case studies will examine the procedures and the results of wastelands regeneration in Greece. It will evaluate the role the existing spatial planning framework and it will investigate the factors that define the processes and procedures of wastelands regeneration and their effectiveness in order to make these areas new sustainable zones in the urban tissue.

Assessment of Urban Wastelands using GIS and IoT as Tools for Spatial Data Analysis

Large urban development around cities often results in vacant, abandoned or unproductive land parcels, sometimes called ‘wastelands’. There are various types of urban vacant land identified as post-industrial, derelict, land without any vegetation and left unattended, natural, and transportation-related vacant lands. The traditional way of collecting the data to study and manage such massive wastelands is hugely time consuming. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote sensing applications can extract periodic spatial changes and make it easier to collect and generate base maps, assess the number of wastelands in a given city, and remotely assess the extent of the area of wastelands/ vacant/ degraded lands. GIS also helps as a valuable tool to identify the neighboring land uses, lakes, green cover, and road networks, which could be considered as base work for any study to progress further with accurate information. Newer technologies like big data and cloud-assisted technology are employed in IoT applications for these wastelands to formulate an intelligent environment. Factors such as workforce, time, labor, transportation, money, and all other logistics can thus be strategized better with the combination of GIS and IoT applications; these are integral to wasteland monitoring and management practices for urban regions. This review paper aims to demonstrate how GIS, remote sensing, and IoT facilitate us to carry out monitoring, analyze, extrapolate, process, store, and integrate the spatial data for urban wastelands; and becomes a basis for planning and decision-making for on-site and management plans.

Invasion Levels of Alien Plants in Various Habitat Types in the Middle Urals

The purpose of the study was to estimate invasion levels of alien plants in various natural and anthropogenic habitats of the Middle Urals in two urbanization manifestation variants: (1) within the boundaries of a large city; and (2) in suburban areas. In total, 965 geobotanical releves produced in natural (bogs, floodplains, petrophytic areas, meadows, and forests) and anthropogenic (wastelands, public gardens, and residential areas) habitats were analyzed. Natural habitats were surveyed within the boundaries of a large city and in its suburban zone (at distances of 30–40 km from the city). Invasion levels were determined based on the number and proportion of alien (adventitious) species in the description. Both in suburban and urban conditions, the lowest numbers of alien species were recorded in bog habitats (on average, 0–0.6 species per description); while the largest numbers, in anthropogenic habitats (on average, 9.8–17.6 species per description). Outside the city, average numbers of alien species in natural habitats (except for bogs) varied in the range of 1.0–2.8 species per description; within the city, 3.8–6.2 species per description. In natural habitats (except for bogs), average shares of alien species varied in the range of 1.8–5.6% outside the city and in the range of 8.1–16.2% within the city; in anthropogenic habitats, they varied in the range of 22.8–32.8%. Suburban and urban wastelands did not differ in numbers and proportions of alien species (10.3 and 12.9 species per description and 25.3 and 30.2%, respectively). Invasion levels identified in suburban areas are consistent with those recorded in Europe.

Fotonotatki z budowy. Naramowice jako stan przejściowy

Photo-notes from the construction. Naramowice as a transitional state Since the last years of the 20th century, Poznań’s district Naramowice has been an area of rapidly growing investments and a model example of contemporary transformation of urban peripheries into residential areas. The sites of a 19th-century village and farm and a post-war gardening company are turning into housing estates. The new district, repeatedly criticized for the lack of a well-thought-out development plan and transport solutions, finally in 2022 was connected with a city center by a tram route. Naramowice are the subject of a phototextual reflection in which I refer to the ambiguous status of this space, expressed in such terms as extension and redevelopment, land development, and wastelands. In conclusion, I wonder if the district can be a laboratory for the “fourth nature” (I. Kowarik, K. Jakubowski) project or an illustration of the “third landscape” (R. Clément)? The article takes the form of a rephotographic photo essay (L. Pouwels, M. Rosler), in which images are intertwined with text fragments, in which the concepts of urban wasteland, natural thinking and contemporary urban design are discussed. The photographs I used present the changes observed during the construction of the tram route, the interference of residential investments in the areas of the former orchards in Naramowice and the projects of urban meadows between residential buildings. Made with a mobile phone, they have the character of a field note, emphasizing the role of active, mobile observation of dynamic changes in space.

Functional-Environmental Evaluation of Pocket Parks in Urbanized Areas - The Case Study of Gliwice

Abstract The article presents the role and importance of creating new green areas in the areas of urban agglomerations. Particular attention was paid to the processes of creating new green areas in post-industrial areas and urban wastelands and their restoration for cities. The issue of the formation of pocket parks is raised and the results of the detailed research carried out by the authors in 2020 are briefly discussed. The article presents a comparative analysis of several selected examples of pocket parks, describes the role they play in cities. The purpose of the research was to determine what elements of pocket parks play an important role for the microclimate of cities and their communities. An example of the creation of a new pocket park in the city center of Gliwice, Poland is presented. The conclusions of the research and the evaluation of the experiment carried out by the authors can be useful for the creation of urban policies, planning of green areas in cities and the creation of utility-functional programs for new green areas.

Urban Agriculture as an Alternative Source of Food and Water Security in Today’s Sustainable Cities

The concept of a regenerative city goes far beyond a sustainable one. The regenerative approach is to think of urban green space as a productive landscape, a source of food, and a support for biodiversity. In this approach, the so-called urban wastelands have a positive significance. Urban agriculture (UA) has become a commonly discussed topic in recent years with respect to sustainable development. Therefore, the combination of urban fabric and local food production is crucial for ecological reasons. The key issues are the reduction of food miles and the demand for processed food, the production of which strains the natural environment. At the same time, UA enables regeneration and restoration. An original methodological approach was used in the study following the mixed-method research concept: literature survey, case studies, and comparative analysis of objects. A review of UA architecture (UAA) projects was carried out to supplement the knowledge acquired during the bibliometric analysis. In sum, 25 existing projects, including allotment gardens, community gardens, and urban farms in the global north, were compared in this study. As a result of the analyses carried out, the breakdown of urban agriculture was developed into the following categories: (i) architectural-urban, (ii) ecological, (iii) social, and (iv) economic, including the impact of UA on physical activity and social interaction. UA is also a factor shaping the urban landscape. In conclusion, agrarian practice in urban environments has led to the creation of a new type of space, known as UAA. Production in the context of UA exceeds private goods, such as food produced for sale or for individual use. Additional goods include public goods. The review shows that UA fulfills economic, social, and environmental functions, thus falling under the concept of sustainable development.

Space-void dichotomy in architecture

The article raises the issues of annihilation of places without a direct function in the urban space in the context of the implementation of standards for the development of territories and the desire for their mass replication. In view of the widespread perception of urban wastelands with a negative connotation, the article explores the understanding of the category of void in architectural theory and practice on a positive basis. The differences between the attitude to space as an object in the modernist design method and void as the subject of the modern postmodernist method are described. The properties and values of void are considered in order to return subject-subject relations to void as a value, to clarify its potential for introduction into the project method as a category that has significant axiological properties in comparison with space. Rehabilitating the repressed meaning of void is seen as the key to major professional change. It is proposed to consider void as an integral part of poetic experience and as a manifesto of a new form of architecture.

People’s Attitudes and Emotions towards Different Urban Forest Types in the Berlin Region, Germany

In an era of urbanization, forests are a key component of the urban green infrastructure, providing multiple benefits to urban residents. While emerging forests on urban wasteland could increase the urban forest area, it is unclear how residents view such novel forest types. In a comparative self-administered online survey, we assessed attitudes and emotions of residents (n = 299) from the Berlin region, Germany, towards forest types that represent transformation stages from natural to novel forests: (1) natural remnants, (2) silvicultural plantings, (3) park forests and (4) novel wild forests in wastelands. Respondents expressed positive attitudes and emotions towards all forest types, including the novel wild forest. Ratings were most positive towards natural remnants and least positive towards the novel wild forest. The indicated prevalence of non-native trees (Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudoacacia) did not evoke negative responses. Women and younger people were more positive towards the novel wild forest compared to other respondents, and men were most positive towards natural remnants. Place attachment was positively related to the park forest. Results indicate support for a wide range of forest types, including novel wild forests and non-native tree species, which can be used to expand urban forest areas and enhance opportunities for nature experience in cities.

From wastelands to waiting lands

In debates urban wastelands can appear caught between stigmatisation and romanticisation, viewed either as blight or obscure opportunity. How can we conceive of these spaces in a more productive, yet contingent, way? This article examines the political and conceptual meanings of urban voids and explores their significance to understandings of cities and urban development. To emphasise the ways in which voids are mobilised for particular agendas, the article shows how professional and political lenses on the ‘city’ become entangled with these spaces and generate exclusions and contradictions. This is illustrated through a discussion of emblematic voids in Berlin and the ways in which they are made legible in relation to wider socio-political objectives. Taking inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s notion of the wish image, voids are seen to become subject to utopian wishes for the city. Projecting desires onto these voids, city lenses mobilise support for broader wishes for the city, whilst never fully realising them. To usefully consider the relations between voids, cities and citizens, we draw on German debates to think of voids as Brachen, meaning fallow or waiting lands, where absences of urbanisation offer a moment of pause to reveal the diverse wish images involved in the making of cities. As waiting land, the void asks questions of urbanites: for what purpose is it waiting, how should it be (re-)related to the city and who should be responsible?

The vascular flora ecological diversity in the mid-field woodlots situated on the agricultural outskirts of Wrocław

The paper presents an analysis of the ecological requirements and sociological-ecological relations of 403 species of vascular plants recorded in 82 mid-field woodlots located among crop fields in the agricultural outskirts of Wrocław. The aim of the research and analyses was to determine what is the species composition of these woodlots and whether they are ecologically more similar to those situated in environment of farmlands or urban wastelands. The authors assumed the latter. It was found that the mid-­ -field woodlots occupied less than 1% of arable land and were located exclusively in close proximity to the city’s administrative borders, and more than half of them were related to the hydrographic network of the area. Their flora, in general assessment, shows a great variety in terms of water requirements and has the features of woodlots described from typically agricultural areas. This applies to the dominance of forest, shrub and meadow species with a constant, usually not exceeding 20%, share of ruderal plants and a small number of weeds in crops. Thus, the assumption that the flora of the studied woodlots will show signs of ruderalization to a large extent has not been confirmed. 72% of species occurred in no more than 10 objects, which shows that the described ecological diversity of the flora studied is based on single or few locations. The most frequent species were nitrophilic and in over 50% they represented a group of shrub communities. The list of the species recorded with estimation of their frequency is provided.

Integration of the social dimension in urban wastelands reconversion projects: Case of the Guelma railway station, Algeria

The railway station of Guelma (city located in the Northeast of Algeria) is an imposing building, built by the French colonization, which is closed now after so many years of prosperity. The development of the city and the urban sprawl have meant that after having been located for a long time on the periphery, this station now occupies a central position, where the city is now made. However, the future of this station is so far unclear since it will no longer be operational, given that the new Guelma’s railway station will be located on the outskirts of the city. What would be the fate of this architectural good left to itself? By preserving the memory of the station by offering it a new permanent use, this architectural jewel with its fallow site is a real opportunity for urban regeneration for the city. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to try to give new life to Guelma station, through a new global approach that would channel the useful and sustainable reuse of the site from its immediate environment and the current executive context. The questionnaire was used as an investigative tool intended for residents living near the station, in total, 40 respondents have been surveyed, to find out their opinions and expectations relating to the future of this lost part of the city. The data from the study were descriptively analyzed, using percentages. Results revealed that the inhabitants are aware of the importance of the reconquest of the station, which will constitute for them a real opportunity for urban and economic development for the region. A reconquest that wants to be sustainable by adopting a socio-spatial approach, which will integrate socio-economic and environmental aspects. Keywords: industrial heritage, railway station, reconversion, sustainability, urban wasteland.

Five years of citizen science and standardised field surveys in an informal urban green space reveal a threatened Eden for wild bees in Brussels, Belgium

Abstract Urbanisation is often put forward as an important driver of biodiversity loss, including for pollinators such as wild bees. However, recent evidence shows that the mosaics of urban green spaces, and in particular certain categories of informal urban green spaces (IGS), can play an important role to help native wild bees thrive in cities. Here, we describe the results of 5 years of citizen science and standardised field surveys of wild bees conducted at the Friche Josaphat, a 24‐ha urban wasteland in the Brussels‐Capital Region (Belgium). These field surveys were initiated following the planned restructuring and partial destruction of this site by the regional authorities. We recorded a total of 2507 specimens belonging to 127 species of wild bees, i.e. 60.5% of the 210 species recorded regionally, including nine that are threatened with extinction at national or European scales. The Friche Josaphat encompasses a significant share of the functional and phylogenetic diversity of wild bees known from the Brussels‐Capital Region and is one of the most species‐rich localities known to date for wild bees in Belgium. Collectively, our results highlight the strong complementarity of citizen science and academic approaches in biodiversity surveys, and they reaffirm that wastelands are essential components of urban biodiversity. Our study stresses the need to provide biodiverse IGS with a formal status within the mosaic of urban green spaces but also to acknowledge and safeguard their natural capital and the multiple ecosystem services they provide.

Evaluation of trace metal accumulation in six vegetable crops intercropped with phytostabilizing plant species, in a French urban wasteland.

The extensive development of agriculture in urban and peri-urban wastelands polluted with several trace elements (TE) poses risks to human health through contaminated food products. The objective was to explore the accumulation of TE in the various parts of vegetable crop plants (tomato, French bean, radish, potato, spinach, and leek) intercropped with phytostabilizing plant species (ryegrass and white clover, respectively). Field studies were conducted in a multicontaminated French urban wasteland with Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, and an alkaline soil pH. Analyses of the respective non-edible parts of monocultured vegetable crops showed accumulation of all TE, mostly Zn, then Pb and Cu, and finally Cd. The corresponding TE accumulation factors (soil to plant) were all below 0.25. In the edible parts, average concentrations for TE were above the limit values, according to European and Chinese standards. TE contents in the phytostabilizing species chosen were in the same orders of magnitude and the same ranking as described for vegetable crops and most accumulation was in the roots. Unexpectedly, the presence of the phytostabilizing plants had a very strong positive impact on the soil to plant accumulation factor. Moreover, the edible plant parts were poorly impacted by the co-cropping with phytostabilizing plants.

Discovering the wild side of urban plants through public engagement

Societal Impact StatementThe Anthropocene has seen declining biodiversity inextricably linked to our societies, values, and choices. This requires ecologists to engage with the public in ecosystems such as cities to learn from and help inform their values and experiences regarding their role in urban nature. This article presents a transdisciplinary citizen science project on spontaneous urban vegetation in the context of urban botany, art‐science, and participatory research that engages with the ecology of cities. We address the interdependence of ecological and social networks, suggesting how plant ecology can become more relevant for society in the Anthropocene, while presenting a specific methodology for engaging the public with urban botany.Summary Cities are socio‐ecological systems that require new ways of thinking and engagement to successfully conserve biodiversity. In this article, we present the citizen science project Where Seeds Fall which was undertaken in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. It was developed in an “ecology with” cities approach seeking to conduct research with the humans living in the ecosystem while learning from and helping inform their values. Our project brings together the perspectives of ecologists, artists, and planners on the three themes of urban wastelands, spontaneous vegetation, and ecological connectivity. It is placed in the context of urban botany, environmental arts and participatory research. Volunteers placed trays of bare soil (without seeds) in their gardens and balconies and monitored what plants arrived and germinated. They then were able to share information about their trays (images, species lists) with one another through a spatially explicit web platform. The project was accompanied by public outreach events and artistic interventions in public space. This article presents the methodology of the project so that it can be replicated elsewhere. Based on the experiences with the project we discuss evolving transdisciplinary perspectives on wild plant biodiversity in cities.

Contributions of phenological groups of wild bees as an indicator of food availability in urban wastelands

Protection and increasing of biodiversity in urban areas should be a priority for urban authorities, managers of green areas, and the society. This objective can be reached by proper shaping of vegetation structure in green spaces, including urban wastelands, on the basis of e.g. investigation of relations between bees and their food plants. We evaluated the attractiveness of vegetation to the Apiformes, as an indicator of food availability in wastelands, in the city of Bydgoszcz and its suburbs. In respect of species richness and abundance, early-spring bees (emergence in March-April) and spring bees (emergence in May) prevailed in suburban habitats. In contrast, in urban wastelands, summer species of bees (emergence in June) were the richest and most abundant. This was linked with analogous differences in species richness of bee food plants starting to flower in those periods, and various plant life-forms played important roles in individual phenological periods. In the case of early-spring and spring bee species, the differences concerned primarily polylectic and cleptoparasitic bees, which prevailed in suburban habitats. Polylectic bees that emerged in summer were more abundant in urban habitats. No such a relationship was observed for oligolectic species, whose occurrence depends on the presence of a narrow group of bee food plant species, irrespective of their location and degree of human disturbance. We also found that trees and shrubs were major sources of food for the dominant bee species in early spring and spring. Among native plants, the most important role was played by apophytes (i.e. native plants typically growing on disturbed land) starting to flower in spring. Our results can be used by managers of urban landscape to shape urban vegetation so that it provides a continuous supply of food for bees and other pollinating insects.

城市生态系统修复研究进展

城市生态系统是社会-经济-自然复合生态系统。城市生态系统修复的实质是协调好城市复合生态系统的自然过程、经济过程和社会过程之间的关系，促进复合生态系统的各方面协调高效可持续发展。以城市绿地、城市湿地、城市废弃地三类主要的城市生态空间为对象，论述了城市生态系统修复的研究进展，提出当前城市生态系统修复存在以人工修复技术为主、自然修复不足、机理和量化研究缺乏、理论和应用脱节、管理机制不健全、复合生态系统理论体现不足等问题。梳理了当前城市生态系统修复的研究热点，包括城市生态系统修复机理、城市生态资产与生态系统服务、城市生态系统质量和健康、问题导向的生态修复、面向人类福祉的生态修复、生态修复多学科融贯，以及新方法和新技术的应用等几个方面。提出了城市生态修复与管理的相关对策和建议，可为我国城市生态系统修复的研究和实践提供参考。;Urban ecosystem is a kind of complex social-economic-natural ecosystem. The essence of urban ecosystem restoration is to coordinate the relationship among the natural process, economic process and social process of the urban complex ecosystem, and promote the coordinated and efficient development of all aspects of the complex ecosystem. This paper takes urban green space, urban wetland, urban wasteland, three main types of urban ecological space, as the objects, and discusses the research progress of urban ecosystem restoration. Then we point out that the current urban ecosystem restoration has some questions such as too much artificial restoration and lacking of natural restoration, the lack of mechanism and quantitative research, the disconnection between theory and application, the imperfect management mechanism, and the weakness of complex ecosystem theory application, and so on. This article reviews the current research hotspots of urban ecosystem restoration, including restoration mechanism of urban ecosystem, urban ecological asset and ecosystem services, urban ecosystem quality and health, ecological restoration resulted from urban problems, ecological restoration oriented to human welfare, multidisciplinary integration of ecological restoration, and application of new methods and technologies. Finally, the paper puts forward the relevant countermeasures and suggestions of urban ecological restoration and management, which can provide references for the research and practice of urban ecosystem restoration in China.

Carabid Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Response to Soil Properties of Urban Wastelands in Warsaw, Poland

Urban wasteland is of special interest to city planners. However, to integrate such areas into city space management with consideration of nature conservation aspects, a sound assessment of their ecological potential is necessary. The aim of this paper was to analyze whether carabid beetle assemblages of the wastelands are affected by soil parameters, particularly trace element contamination. Therefore, we studied the carabid fauna in relation to selected soil parameters on 56 sampling plots situated in 24 wastelands located in the city of Warsaw (Poland). The results have confirmed our assumptions that the number of species, as well as the number of individual carabid beetles, are negatively affected by an increasing amount of pollutants in the soil. Particularly, the trace elements Pb, Cu, and Cd showed a significantly negative impact. The results are of value when it comes to the use of urban wastelands in the context of sustainable city development. Future use of urban wastelands will be faced with trade-offs between the use for public interests (e.g., housing space) and ecological interests. Phytoremediation and entomoremediation may be included in decontamination measures. The results of studies, such as the one conducted by us, may help to select the respective wastelands for certain purposes.